Violent Delights and Ends
by Black Demeter
Summary: Jasper Whitlock, the God of War, has found his mate in a woman named Millie Jean Howard. In the irony of ironies, his mate is also a black southern woman who is wary of him. How will these two navigate Jasper's past? And most importantly, what will happen when Jasper's past refuses to stay buried?
1. Chapter 1

_March 13, 2017_

_"The man in front was easily the most beautiful, his skin olive-toned beneath the typical pallor, his hair a glossy black. He was of a medium build, hard-muscled, of course, but nothing next to Emmett's brawn. He smiled an easy smile, exposing a flash of gleaming white teeth. The woman was wilder, her eyes shifting restlessly between the men facing her and the loose grouping around me, her chaotic hair quivering in the slight breeze. Her posture was distinctly feline. The second male hovered unobtrusively behind them, slighter than the leader, his light brown hair and regular features both nondescript. His eyes, though completely still, somehow seemed the most vigilant. Their eyes were different, too. Not the gold or black I had come to expect, but a deep burgundy color that was disturbing and sinister."_

But it was the fourth vampire that proved to be the most intriguing. When Bella laid eyes upon her, she could see that she was wrong in her earlier assessment that the olive-skinned man was the most beautiful of the group. There was no doubt that this woman put them all to shame and even rivaled Rosalie. Her height was pretty average, maybe an inch taller than Bella, but her body was perfect with long legs, a slender figure, and an hourglass shape that most women would have killed to have. And her skin, Bella could hardly believe that such a perfect smooth looking shade of cool, rich, dark brown existed, but it did. And it was matched with perfect, brown-black, tight curls that reached just the tops of her shoulders.

The curls framed a stunningly beautiful face; those perfect features consisted of full and perfectly proportioned lips, curved dark brows, a long and elegant nose, and a sculptured jawline and cheekbones. Perfectly spaced eyes that were a soft, beautiful golden shade of honey were a striking contrast next to her skin, but one that only enhanced her beauty. It was hard to imagine that someone could look like that, but there she was, with a confused and surprised look on her face.

Bella was confused and shocked as well. How did a "vegetarian" wind up with human blood drinkers? Before Bella could further ponder the question, a low growl interrupted her thoughts. It came from Jasper, who was staring at the golden-eyed stranger. The woman stared back at him, a look of utter shock on her face before she took a hesitant step backward. What was going on? The others noticed as well and exchanged surprised and worried glances.

"Jasper," Alice hissed, but Jasper paid her no mind. His focus was on the other woman, who shifted and finally looked away from his intense gaze before distancing herself a bit from the others.

"Don't run, suga," Jasper said, and Bella could hear the warning note in his voice. The woman glared at him, but she remained where she was.

Alice grabbed at Jasper again, and this time, he pushed her away with a frightening ease that scared Bella. She didn't know him very well, but it was clear that there was more to Jasper than meets the eye. Who was he, exactly?

"It's been a long time since I've seen mates recognize one another," the beautiful olive-skinned man said pleasantly, the slightest hint of a french accent in his voice. "It's a good thing we decided to come this way then."

"I am Laurent," he continued before motioning to the orange-haired woman and the plain-looking man. "This is Victoria and James." He gestured at the last woman. "And this is Millie." The woman gave a slight nod, her eyes still wary. "You must share the same feeding habits as our companion here," Laurent mused, and Carlisle cast a glance at the woman before nodding.

"I'm Carlisle. This is my family, Emmett and Jasper, Rosalie, Alice, and Esme, and Edward and Bella," The head of the Cullen family said cordially.

"Do you have room for a few more players?" Laurent asked.

"We just finished up, but we'd certainly be interested another time. I must say your grouping is unusual." Carlisle's voice remained steady and without a hint of hostility. Bella fervently prayed that they didn't notice her. While Bella was glad that Millie was a vegetarian, she was still uncomfortable around the human blood drinkers.

"It is. I was just keeping company with them until I returned to my coven," the woman named Millie spoke, her voice soft yet beautiful and clear. Bella thought she heard a southern accent, but it was rich and sweet.

Jasper raised his eyebrows, and there was a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.

"Are you planning to stay in the area long?" Carlisle asked.

Laurent shook his head. "No, we were headed south when we heard the noise and were curious to see who was in the neighborhood."

"Perhaps we should be on our way, Laurent," Millie said quietly when a low, threatening growl erupted from Jasper. She shot him a glare, which he met stoically. What was going on? Laurent had mentioned mates, but that wasn't true, was it? Jasper was married to Alice, and he was devoted to her just as Alice was in return.

"What's your hunting range?" Laurent continued as if there wasn't any tension.

"The Olympic Range here and up and down the Coast Ranges on occasion. We keep a permanent residence nearby. There is another permanent residence in Denali, with a family that follows our lifestyle as well."

"Permanent? Is this what you were speaking of, Millie?" Laurent turned to the woman, who nodded cautiously.

He turned back to Carlisle. "How do you do this?"

"Why don't you come to our home? We can discuss it more there, as it is a pretty long story," the doctor suggested, and Bella perked up at this. Perhaps everything would turn out all right. They hadn't noticed her. But still, there was now the thing with Jasper and Millie.

"That sounds very welcome," Laurent said, turning to his companions who exchanged surprised looks but remained silent.

"I'll have to ask you not to hunt in the immediate area as not to draw suspicion," Carlisle warned, and Laurent nodded amicably.

"No need to worry; we just ate outside of Seattle," he said, and she felt a chill at his words. She wondered how many humans it took to fill up a vampire, let alone three of them.

"Good, how about Emmett, Rosalie, and Alice and I will run with you there?" Carlisle asked when the wind picked up and blew Bella's hair causing the four new vampires to turn toward her. Edward stiffened and let out a low hiss in response before sinking into a crouch. James slipped into a crouch as well, baring his deadly white teeth. Bella wanted to scream, but she forced it down, her sole focus on Edward.

"What's this? A snack?" Laurent asked in surprise as Edward let out a snarl at James, who hissed back. Victoria let out a warning hiss as she sprung to his side.

"She's with us." Carlisle's voice was firm, and his eyes were hard.

"She's human!" Laurent exclaimed in disbelief.

"She's with us," Carlisle repeated, a sharp edge in his tone. James feinted right, but Edward quickly matched his position, never taking his eyes off of him. Victoria watched the group, her gaze moving from face to face, before searching the field and nearby forest. Simultaneously, while clearly surprised that a human was present, Millie showed not the faintest hint of desire for Bella's blood to the human's relief.

"I see. It seems we have much to learn from one another," Laurent said, his tone placating and apologetic.

"Indeed," Carlisle retorted coldly.

"We won't hunt in your range, and of course, we won't harm the human girl. I want to accept your invitation, though," Laurent continued, ignoring the look of disbelief from James, who straightened somewhat from his crouch. Bella took comfort in the fact that Edward didn't rise from his crouch at all. She caught James' gaze and quickly looked away, not wanting to cause further trouble.

"Of course, we will show you the way, Jasper, Esme, Rosalie?" Carlisle turned slightly in their direction. They converged together in a group while Emmett and Alice moved in front of Bella. Edward said nothing before lifting Bella onto his back and taking off into the woods. They made it to Emmett's red jeep, where Edward flung Bella into the backseat.

"Strap her in," he ordered, and Emmett quickly fastened the harness before sliding into the seat next to her. Alice hopped in the front with Edward, clearly troubled with everything that just happened.

"This certainly was not the time, but there is not much to do about it now, is there?" Edward growled as he stepped on the gas pedal, and the jeep roared off.

"Where are we going?" Bella demanded, but Edward ignored her, causing her fury to rise. How could he ignore her when James was hunting her? It wasn't about him!

"Damn it, answer me! Where are you taking me?" Bella shouted as the speedometer began to climb past eighty-five. She began to tear at the harness that held her in place. Edward was going to listen to her, whether he liked it or not!

"Emmett," Edward said grimly, and Emmett grabbed Bella's hands. His hands were like iron bars, immovable and unbreakable.

"No! Edward!" Bella shouted, trying to struggle and failing miserably. Emmett's hand didn't even budge against her failed attempts to break free of them.

"We have to get you far away from here, right now," Edward said furiously as the speedometer reached over a hundred.

"No, I am not leaving Charlie! He'll call the FBI, and they will come after all of you!" Bella shouted, desperate for him to understand. Why couldn't he listen? She knew how Charlie would react, and she didn't want any of the Cullens to face repercussions on her behalf.

"We've been there before," Edward said coldly, and Bella found herself stunned into silence.

"Pull over, Edward," Alice said quietly, and he shot her a hard look before speeding up. Emmett sat in grim silence, his eyes focused on his adopted siblings.

"Edward," Alice said, a warning note in her voice this time, and Bella prayed that if he didn't listen to her, he would at least listen to Alice.

"He's a tracker, damn him! Don't you understand? I read his mind; he begins the hunt tonight. She is his obsession now!" Edward roared as the speedometer hit one twenty. Emmett stiffened at his words, and Alice looked even more disturbed, but this didn't deter her.

"He won't know where she is-" the pixie-like vampire began when Edward cut her off. "How long before he catches her scent and tracks her to her house?" Bella felt her stomach almost do an entire flip at his words. Charlie!

"Do you want to hear my plan?" Bella asked.

"No!" Edward said, not taking his eyes from the road as he kept his foot all the way down on the pedal. Alice glared at him on her behalf, irritated with his behavior.

"I. Am. Not. Leaving. Charlie." Bella spoke slowly though her anger was more than present in her words.

"He doesn't matter!"

"Yes, he does. He could get killed because of us!"

"We have to take her back." At least Emmett agreed with her.

"We should have taken Jasper with us. He would have been a great help here," Alice said though there was an edge to her voice.

"No." Edward wouldn't budge.

"He's no match for us, Edward. He won't be able to touch Bella with us defending her."

"He'll wait."

"I can wait too." Emmett's smile was terrifying, and Bella was glad that she wasn't James. The odds were on her side for once, she tried to assure herself.

"If it comes down to a fight, we may have to kill him," Edward said, and Emmet nodded. "It's probably our best option."

"There is another option," Alice said quietly.

Edward whirled around snarling: "There. Is. No. Other. Option!"

Bella had had enough of this. "Listen to me! Here is what I can do…."

...

It had worked, and now Edward was driving Bella's truck back to the Cullen's house. Bella was hurting after her cruel and callous conversation with Charlie, but she knew it was for the best. They pulled into the driveway that led to the house, but Edward made a left at the house that led to a detached garage. Bella hopped out of her car, landing gracelessly on her feet. Edward rushed to her side and they made their way to the front of the garage. It was dark outside, but there were lights attached to the garage that gave Bella somewhat of a view. It was quite a large garage with four solid white wooden doors and lights above each of them.

An argument was happening between Alice, Jasper, and the second woman from the nomadic group, Millie. Laurent was there, as was Carlisle and Esme.

"What's going on?" Bella asked, causing everyone's heads to snap towards her. She felt tiny at that moment but held her ground.

Carlisle was the one who responded to her inquiry. "It seems that Jasper found his mate." Bella's eyes grew wide at those damning words, and she looked at Alice, who seemed positively furious at this pronouncement. "How? Aren't Jasper and Alice married?"

Jasper let out a dark chuckle, his eyes blazing brightly. "Vampires can form bonds, whether it's friendship, brotherhood, or that of a parent and child. We can also form temporary bonds as partners in sexual relationships, but this is not the same as being mates. A vampire has only one mate, and this does not change. Alice and I were the former, not the latter." Here he glanced at Millie, who scowled at him.

"What are you doing in the north?" She demanded. "Shouldn't you be down south, ruling with an iron fist?"

Jasper stared at her for several moments, guarded, but she could see the hint of calculation in his eyes. "No," he said with finality. "I left that life decades ago."

Bella could only stare at the two of them in frustration. Her curiosity was driving her insane, and the situation with the tracker didn't help things.

Once again, shock appeared on Millie's beautiful features, but she reigned it in. "I see." Her gaze landed on Bella. "Don't let me get in the way of things; shouldn't you focus on your human? James wants her."

Edward let out a snarl at her words. Jasper's head snapped up towards him, assessing Edward in a way Bella found terrifying. If there was any word to describe Jasper at that moment, it was the word predator, and Edward was his potential prey.

"What can you tell us about him?" Carlisle asked, redirecting the conversation. Millie and Laurent looked at one another.

"Well, I haven't known them that long," Millie began, "but I know James is a tracker, a very good one from the little I have seen. And that woman, Victoria, she enjoys the hunt with him, though not necessarily in the same capacity."

Laurent took over. "I have never seen anything like him in three centuries. He has unparalleled skills and is absolutely lethal."

Jasper shook his head in evident disgust. "I've had to fight our kind before, they aren't easy to kill, but it's not impossible. Even a man like James has weaknesses," he said, drawing everyone's attention. "We'll have to rip him apart and burn the pieces."

Carlisle grimaced and turned away. "I don't relish the thought of killing another creature, even a sadistic one like James."

"Are you sure it's' worth it?" Laurent asked, and Edward roared with such a fury that Laurent shrunk back, holding his hands up placatingly.

"You got a choice to make," Jasper said flatly, his eyes boring into Laurent's with deadly intent as he crossed his arms across his chest. Laurent looked around frantically at the hostile faces before looking imploringly at Millie, who merely shook her head.

"You already know by my eyes that I share the same diet as them. And while I may tolerate feeding on humans, I do not tolerate sadistic games of cat and mouse with innocent people," she said firmly, before turning on her heel and walking out of the garage. Jasper's eyes trailed after her before flickering back to Laurent.

"I am curious and fascinated by the life you live here and have been ever since I met Millie. But I want no part in this battle, I bear your coven no ill will, but I will not fight against James." Here he paused and looked down. "I think I will head north and visit the coven you spoke of in Denali."

"Then go in peace," Carlisle said amicably, and Laurent took one last look before disappearing into the forest. Bella hoped he meant what he said and wouldn't fight against the Cullens or help James or Victoria.

Carlisle pulled out a small, sleek black remote and clicked it. The doors of the detached garage whirled and began to pull up and backward along the ceiling. They entered a large and neat garage, filled with several cars. Rosalie's BMW, Edward's Volvo, and Carlisle's Mercedes were present. Bella could tell that Jasper was impatient and ready to spring from the place. "What's the plan?"

"Alice is going to run Bella down South to Phoenix, and we'll head him off. Afterward, we begin the hunt," Edward said darkly.

Jasper shook his head, his expression stern. "Have you ever tracked someone before Edward?"

"I've tracked and hunted humans, and I also have my ability to read minds," Edward retorted, clearly offended at the questioning of his abilities.

Jasper's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You think that hunting and killing humans is the same as tracking a vampire? And a skilled one at that?" His voice was quiet, but there was a sinister quality to it.

"Perhaps I can help with that." Millie walked in but stopped just by the door of the garage.

"Help? What could you possibly do?" Rosalie sneered at her. Bella took some comfort in the fact that Rosalie seemed to be hostile towards other strangers.

"Some vampires have special abilities," Millie answered. "I have the power to negate or weaken mental powers."

Everyone stared at her in stunned silence. Emmett let out a low whistle, while Jasper looked impressed.

"James, from the little I knew of him, has an enhanced tracking ability. If he's still within my range, I can negate his power and leave him 'blind' so to speak, and then he can be tracked and destroyed." She suddenly turned shy. "I'm not that great at fighting other vampires. I've been in a few vampire fights, but..."

"I'll deal with James," Jasper said stoically, crossing his arms against his chest.

"We don't know you; how can we be sure we can trust you?" Edward asked abruptly. Under the present circumstances, he wasn't overreacting, and it was a good question.

"You don't. You can take it or leave it," Millie said shortly before turning to leave. "I'll be outside while you make your decision." She glided off, Jasper's eyes once again trailing after her.

"Jasper, how can you think that woman is your mate!" Alice cried, rushing over to him.

Jasper looked down at her, his gaze softening somewhat. "You knew this day would come," he said, before striding out the door, no doubt in the direction Millie went. Alice's face crumpled, and Esme came and wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

"If she can help, I think we should take it," Bella said, determined to do whatever it took to evade James and his deadly game. Edward glared at her but said nothing before turning to Carlisle.

"Jasper is right, you don't know how to track, and if Millie can help us, then we should accept," Carlisle said after a moment. "She follows our diet, so there is no need to fear her wanting Bella's blood. Have you detected any malicious thoughts from her?" Edward was silent. "Edward?" The bronze haired vampire shook his head. "I read her thoughts and detected nothing malicious."

"I need a human minute," Bella interrupted. They pointed her in the direction of the bathroom, which was up a set of stairs. On her way back, she found a door that led outside into the fresh, crisp cool air of the night. Bella let out a sigh of relief, for once grateful for Fork's weather. It was refreshing and a calming contrast compared to the heated chaos of her life at the moment.

The sound of voices carried in the night, and she walked out further from the garage to see Jasper and Millie facing one another, a good twenty feet between them. Jasper was rigid, his arms folded across his chest, as Millie paced back and forth away from him, clearly infuriated.

She quickly stepped back behind a set of tall bushes, but her curiosity got the best of her, and she decided to listen.

"Act out as you want. I know you feel the pull as well," Jasper stated before Millie stopped and turned towards him.

"Yes, yes, I do," she hissed. "I know who you are. I'm a southern woman. Major Jasper Whitlock, the God of War, the Major of the Southern Armies." She took a deep breath and flitted away from him somewhat. Bella was intrigued. The God of War? Major Jasper Whitlock?

"Millie," Jasper began when she turned her back to him. "Millie, I can feel your fear. You know I would never hurt you."

She whirled back around, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "I know that?" She laughed. "No, no, I don't! And how could you say you would never hurt me?" She took another step back, which caused Jasper to take a step forward instinctively. "No, stay over there!" She sat down on a random boulder, breathing harshly.

"What am I, Jasper? What am I?"

"My mate," Jasper growled. There was a flash of movement, and in an instant, he was in front of her, one knee on the ground as he lowered himself till they were close to eye level.

"Hmm…. you know that is not what I meant. I heard some of the rumors that Maria snatched you when you were a young soldier, back in the latter end of the 19th century, because that is how far your reputation goes back."

"What about it?"

"You had to have been a soldier. The question is a soldier in what army?"

Silence descended between the two of them for several moments. "The confederate army," he said, and she could hear the regret in his voice. "I was a major in the army when Maria found me." Bella could feel nothing but shock at the statement. Jasper fought in the Civil War? And on the confederate side?

Millie's entire frame shook, and she tried to move, but Jasper held her in place. "Don't run," he said quietly but firmly. "I'm not going to hurt you."

"You already have," she wailed. "You son of a bitch! How dare you join that treasonous, racist, rebellion?"

Her cries became louder until she finally collapsed into Jasper's arms, her frame wracking with dry sobs. She pulled away from him in an instant, hysterical. "I'd ask if you saw my humanity, but I'm not even human even more!" She threw her hands up in the air.

Jasper grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. "I'm not a man of that era anymore."

"Oh, don't give me that shit!" Millie shouted. "I don't believe you!"

"Then I'll prove it to you," he vowed.

"I don't care if we're mates," Millie swore. "I will not submit to you. I will not have sex with you or anything until I no longer worry about you being a fucking racist. I'll be damned if I spend the rest of eternity with a man that regards my entire race as inferior to his." Her body began shaking again. "You were born in the damn 1800s: did you own slaves?" Her voice broke at the end.

"No," Jasper said firmly.

"Did you use them? Rent them?"

"No, and no." His voice was grim.

"Did you participate in any lynchings or murders of black people for not falling in line with white supremacy?"

"No!"

Millie let out a bitter laugh. "You could be lying to me!" She shouted. "What about rape? You ever do something like that? God knows, after killing and torturing, a white man's favorite thing to do in those days was rape!"

"No!" Jasper growled before he pulled Millie close to him to where her forehead rested against his own. What he said to her, she couldn't make out, but she saw Millie's shoulder sag, and she collapsed against him, her body shaking with tearless sobs. But she didn't pull away.

"I have walked the earth for almost two centuries," Jasper began as he held her, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I have known death, war, suffering, turmoil, and pain beyond imagination. I may have found a peaceful existence with the Cullens, but I will not let my one chance at happiness walk away." His tone grew sharper. "I will gladly show you who I am, Millie, even if it takes me centuries to do it, I will show you who I am and that you have nothing to fear or worry about."

The silence stretched on for several minutes before Millie pulled away from, sitting back on her heels. "We shall see Jasper. All I know is that the man who is my mate had better be a man of the present. He had better understand his mistakes, and he better show that he has learned from them. You better understand the past and how it affects the present. Also, what is your atonement, and what the hell have you been doing all these years?" Millie's voice had hardened towards the end.

"Now, about this human of yours, _who doesn't know it's rude to eavesdrop_; let's deal with her situation, and then we will see how this will go."

* * *

AN: Alright, so that was the very first chapter, which if you've read Clash of the Southerners, you will see the similarities and the differences. Again, I'm mixing book and movie elements in this story. Carlisle and Esme are aged up to 33 and 36, while Jasper has been aged up to 21, and Alice is 19. There will be more details on Millie, but her age for this story is 20. What do y'all think of me changing her powers? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please leave a review; I'm always interested in how people react to my writing! Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Millie stalked back into the garage, her emotions all over the place, but determined to focus on the primary task of neutralizing James' power so that it would be easier for the others to track and kill him.

The southern vampire ignored the curious glances of the other vampires around her. It was apparent they heard her shouting at Jasper, but she didn't give a damn what they thought. A part of her wanted to know the various backgrounds of everyone present, but she was too angry to care at the moment, so she filed the thought away for the future.

Her mate followed her into the garage as well, his face unreadable, except for his eyes, which revealed his inner turmoil. _Good._ She thought grimly. He should suffer. It was still hard to believe that her mate was none other than the Major. So ruthless and vicious that he had earned another title: the God of War. His reputation was infamous in the South, and like most vampires with common sense, she feared him. She feared him in that field, and she feared him even now. What kind of life was she going to have with this man?

The red-haired vampire called Edward looked at her with a slight frown on his face. Why the hell was he staring at her?

"We need to throw him off Bella's trail," Jasper said flatly as James' target sheepishly walked back down the stairs.

"Does he know where I am?" Bella asked in a small voice.

"Yes, he does," Jasper answered, giving her a sharp look. "He won't attack the house, but he did follow you here." He looked at Edward expectantly. "Where is he now?"

"About three miles out past the river; he's circling to meet up with the female," Edward said tersely. Now Millie was curious. How did he know that?

Jasper turned to her. "What's your gift's range?"

Looking at his godlike face wasn't something she could bear to do at the moment. However, that black Mercedes was quite nice. She vaguely wondered what model it was. "A few miles," she said shortly. "Do you want me to try right now?"

"Wait!" Came the voice of the petite, spiky-haired woman that was married to her mate. Alice. "If you do that, you can affect the rest of us!"

Millie eyed her. The southern vampire wasn't in the mood for petty bullshit. "Who has a gift outside of Jasper?" She asked, addressing everyone in the room.

"Edward can read minds, and I can see the future." Alice glared defiantly at her.

Millie stared her down. She didn't care about the tiny woman before her, but she understood that losing your husband could be distressing. The tiny vampire would soon be nothing more than another piece of Jasper's past. And an irrelevant one at that.

Her brows knitted a bit. But was Alice really irrelevant? Where did she come from? And from what time? Millie shot her a dirty look. Was this bitch born in the same era as Jasper? If so, then she knew her race had to be a factor in the bitch's dislike of her.

"Alice isn't like that," Edward spoke up, a defensive note in his voice. "She wasn't born in the 1800s; she was born in Mississippi in 1901." He gave her a pointed look. "That's not the Antebellum Era."

This condescending fool had her hot. Did Edward think he could explain away her legitimate concerns? "You mean the Jim Crow South?" She snarled. "I didn't ask you to make excuses or explain anything. Stay out of my head!"

"I can't control it," Edward snapped back.

"Let me help you with that." Her voice was sweet, but her actions that followed were not. Her gift worked like turning the dial on an old tv set. She could turn it down and weaken a vampire's gift, or she could turn it off completely. If that bitch Alice could see the future, why did they need him? With the slightest bit of concentration, she turned his gift off.

Edward's eyes widened immediately. "I can't read your mind anymore," he said, looking at her with an accusing glare. "I can't read anyone's thoughts!" He took a step forward towards her when Jasper cut him off with a warning growl.

Emmett let out a low whistle of what sounded like appreciation, though his expression changed when Rosalie gave him a heated glare.

"You have miss fortune teller over here." Millie jabbed her finger in Alice's direction. "You can't see how this will end?"

"I can't tell. There are many different decisions, so anything is possible," she spat out. Millie barely refrained from rolling her eyes. How could someone see the future and still be so useless?

"Alright," Millie said before she focused on her gift and reached out, trying to find James and his power. "Leave now, just in case he goes out of my range before I can turn his gift off."

"Let's go," Jasper ordered before he, Emmett, Edward, and Carlisle left the garage.

"Did it work?" Bella asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"Hmm." Millie crossed her arms. She had turned Edward's gift back on too, just in case they needed it, which she suspected they wouldn't. Her powers' effects tended to last a few days unless she decided to undo her gift herself.

"What if he kills one of them?" Rosalie hissed as she began to pace the room.

Well, they were around the God of War...hadn't he taught them how to fight?

"I think they will be okay, dear," Esme said, though there was a slight frown on her face.

Several minutes passed in the garage when Alice spoke up. "They got him, well Jasper did, but James is as good as dead."

All things considered, Millie was glad to hear it. "What about the red-haired woman, Victoria?" Rosalie asked, arching a golden eyebrow.

Alice frowned. "She ran; it looked like she didn't want to fight."

Millie nodded before she turned to Esme. "If it's not any trouble, do you have a pen and some paper I could borrow?" She needed to leave and quickly.

Esme gave her a warm smile. "Of course, I'll be right back," she said before she disappeared in a flash. Millie ignored the curious looks she got and waited until Esme returned and handed the requested items to her.

Millie quickly set the paper down on the hood of the Mercedes and began to write. When she finished, she folded the paper in half and gave it to Esme, who stared at her in confusion. "Will you give this to Jasper?"

"Are you leaving?" Esme was shocked. "You don't have to go! You're more than welcome to stay!"

"What about Edward's gift?" Bella piped up. "He'll need it back before you leave."

"I restored his gift as soon as he left. I don't like him reading my mind, and I certainly don't appreciate him responding to my thoughts when I wasn't addressing him."

The southern vampire turned back to Esme. "I do have to go," she said firmly. "And I would like to leave before he gets back because otherwise, he would never let me go." And honestly, she needed as much of a headstart as possible because there was a good possibility Jasper would chase after her.

Esme took the paper with a sad look in her eyes. "If you think it's best."

"It is," Millie said before she let out a sigh. "For now." Her focus turned to Alice, who was strangely quiet. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it was more than convenient for Alice that Millie left, so the bitch could beg and try and entice her mate back into her arms. Those attempts would fail, and she didn't need to see the future to say that. "Don't tell him where I've gone."

With that, she bolted, running out in the cold air, without a glance back at all. But as she ran, she reached out and turned Alice's gift off.

Her lips curved into a smile. That was something that she enjoyed doing. It might have seemed petty, but it was sufficient enough that Alice wouldn't be able to tell Jasper anything, even if she wanted to for the next couple of days. And by then, well, she knew someone who could deal with Alice and her visions.

She ran to the hotel she had been staying at in Vancouver. She gathered her things and caught a flight in the middle of the night down south to Shreveport, Louisiana. The house her coven lived in was massive but necessary for a coven of five. It was a two-story, pale green house with a light beige roof made of shingles. It sat right at the edge of Cross Lake, outside of Downtown Shreveport. Trees lined the property, providing some much-needed privacy for the coven.

The taxi pulled into the long driveway that led up to the front entrance in a massive circle. Millie hopped out of the cab with her things, strode up to the door, and walked in. She knew her coven mates were home because of their scents, and she knew they heard her arrival.

"Millie! What are you doing here so quickly? I thought-" Her coven sister, Aaliyah trailed off when she saw the look on Millie's face. Aaliyah was dressed to go out and, as usual, looked stunning in a gold, sleeveless crop top decorated with black and gold flowers and a long blue maxi skirt trimmed with gold and decorated with golden flowers.

Aaliyah was forever stuck at the age of twenty-three, and a good height of five-seven with light, beige skin with warm undertone and loose black curls (the kind you usually saw on a white woman) that fell to the middle of her back. She was bottom-heavy with long legs, thick thighs, and a curvy figure that was the envy of any woman. Indeed, because of colorism, the Black community tended to praise features like hers even when she was a human.

"Hmm…..what did you think?" Millie questioned as she breezed past Aaliyah into the foyer after setting her things down. She wasn't usually so blasé or well that damn rude, but Millie couldn't help her agitation at that moment.

"Girl, what is it?" Aaliyah had immediately picked up on her attitude, but instead of snapping back, there was concern and tenderness in her voice.

"I found my mate; that's what." Millie threw herself on the sofa and curled into herself, wishing for tears, but there was nothing but her anger, fear, and worry.

"Oh! Why didn't you bring him here? No doubt your pissy because you're separated-"

"The Major, Aaliyah."

There was dead silence, and Millie turned to look at Aaliyah before uncurling somewhat and arching an eyebrow, waiting for the news to sink in and her sister's response.

"What the hell?!" Aaliyah plopped down next to her on the sofa, her face a mixture of shock and outrage.

"Exactly. That's the reason for my mood," Millie admitted, her voice wavering slightly. "I have a mate that not only is feared in the vampire world but was someone to fear in the human as well."

She heard the rush of footsteps, and Obadiah, their coven leader, stormed into the room, followed by his mate and wife, Louise. "Did I hear you correctly?" Obadiah demanded, folding his arms across his chest. He had the body of a southern man that worked his whole life, and his transformation as a vampire had only enhanced it. Obadiah towered over them all at six-four, and every inch of him was muscle. He had an average build that leaned towards slender, forest brown skin and short, black, coily hair. He was dressed simply in a black fitted t-shirt and a pair of grey jeans and a pair of casual black tennis.

"Yes, you heard that right," she said flatly.

"That's awful!" Louise shook her head and sat on the other side of her. Louise wasn't the most attractive woman when human, so her features were nothing more than plain as a vampire; she was brown-skinned, not as dark as Millie, but neither was she as light as Aaliyah. Her best feature was her hair, which was a perfect mass of tight, black coils picked out to form a perfect if small afro. She was the tallest woman in the coven at five-eleven, with long limbs and a body that was more rectangular than anything. The short-sleeved floral print bohemian maxi dress she wore did wonders for her figure.

"He let you come back down here?" Obadiah questioned, sinking into the chair across from them. "Alone?"

"Well, we were in the middle of a situation that involved a sadistic vampire," Millie explained, ignoring the shocked looks from her coven. "While he dealt with him, I left." Her focus turned to Louise. "Speaking of which, can you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"His wife can see the future, and I don't need her to-"

"Wife?!" Aaliyah shouted.

"Yes, and I'm not worried about it." And that was true. "He'll break up with her."

"You better make sure." Obadiah gave her a pointed look. "Wouldn't be the first time a white man has tried to juggle having both a white woman and a black woman."

"He wouldn't dare." A growl erupted from her chest as she rose to her feet. "Can you use your gift on me?" She asked the coven's matriarch. Louise had an impressive gift. She had the power of imperceptibility and could make someone imperceptible to almost anything except physical sight, touch, and sound. It would be easy for Louise to make it where Alice couldn't see Millie in her visions.

Louise nodded. "Of course," she said, clearly understanding why Millie wanted her to do it. "There. She won't see you."

"Good." Millie vaguely wondered if Jasper would restrain himself and remain up in the Northwest. It was still hard to accept that he was her mate. She didn't think that his human past was widely known, but Millie once stumbled across a history pamphlet that briefly mentioned him. It wasn't a well-known piece of information (It was good that he was primarily forgotten), but she learned about his human past, and at the time, she passed that information on to her coven.

Her anger lessening somewhat, she sat back down, feeling a bit more in control of the situation.

"Does the motherfucker regret what he did?" Aaliyah blurted out, causing Obadiah and Louise to shoot her glares. Aaliyah shrugged. "I know I'm not the only one wondering."

"I don't know; I told him that he had better understand what his mistakes were. We're mates, but there is no relationship between us right now. And I need time away from him." And a couple of days or weeks wasn't long enough.

Obadiah nodded. "Makes sense for the moment, though I still don't like that this happened."

"What do you intend to do?" Louise asked softly.

"Remain here until I decide to leave." She gave them a wry smile. "Did you know that he feeds like us? And so does that coven he belongs to."

"There is another coven that feeds on animals?" Obadiah asked, his eyes wide in surprise. He looked at Louise, who stared at her in disbelief. They had all assumed they were the only coven to feed as they did.

"There are two. They mentioned another coven that lives up in Denali," Millie said, leaning forward slightly. It had come as a surprise to her when she had first learned of it herself, but it did please her to know that there were other covens similar in feeding habits to them. It made the vampire world a bit less lonely.

"And the God of War follows this lifestyle?" Louise questioned scornfully. "A man like that would feed on human blood."

"His golden eyes say otherwise," Millie said, drumming her fingers along the armrest. If she had to guess, Jasper probably did at some point, feed on human blood and perhaps for a very long time. Maybe she would ask him one day what made him change his feeding habits.

"What a mess," Obadiah said, his voice tinged with anger. "As if anyone could deny the mating bond!"

Millie let out a sharp laugh. "No, I can't, and neither can he, but there is nothing between us until he has earned my trust, and I am sure that he is a decent man."

"Well, if that happens, you bring him down here," Aaliyah said. "I want to meet the motherfucker. I can't wait to see what he looks like too."

He looks like a god, she thought unhappily. Millie remembered when she first saw him, everything perfect and precise. He had a soldier's body, muscular and fit, long legs and arms, and fair skin. That face of his was perfect too, with that strong jawline and angular features with deep golden eyes and slightly wavy honey blonde hair that fell just below his jaw. And he was tall, around six-three, with a commanding and powerful presence. All other issues aside, she wanted him, and she hated herself for it.

"I think we all do, if it comes to that," Obadiah agreed. "I'm glad you came back down here. I would hate to have you living so far away and especially under the current circumstances."

"Oba, phone and emails exist, you know," she reminded him. "I would never abandon y'all." A frown appeared on her face as a sudden thought occurred.

"Where's Cameron?"

"He went hunting."

Her eyes widened. "On his own? Y'all know he is just barely over his newborn year. Why did you not take-"

Obadiah cut her off. "It's fine, Millie. I scanned the area he was hunting in. He'll be back before you know it." Cameron, well Cameron Green, was the newest member of their coven. Aaliyah had changed him just over a year ago, as they fell in love with one another and discovered they were mates after Cameron was changed. They had met during a round of grad school (at night).

"You better watch him," she warned. "I don't want him getting homesick and deciding to sneak off to New Orleans."

"Leave my man alone!" Aaliyah crossed her arms against her chest. "He'll be fine. What you need to do is worry about yours."

"Aaliyah," she growled, and her sister let out a sigh.

"Oh, go on upstairs and work it out," she huffed. "In the end, you'll be fine."

Millie eyed her before she stood up and went up the stairs. "And how long will it be before I even get to being "fine"?"

...

Jasper tore James' head off and threw it in the fire with grim satisfaction. He then removed James' legs and arms from his torso and threw them into the fire as well.

"That was easy," Emmett said as the flames consumed James' remains. The brawny vampire looked at Edward. "Is Victoria still around?"

Edward shook his head. "No, she fled."

"We'll have to keep an eye out for her," Jasper said coolly as he stared at the flames. He wished that Victoria had shown up so that he could kill her. "Mates can be vengeful."

Emmett snorted, waves of amusement rolling off of him. "Of course, you got personal experience now with that, Jazz."

Jasper whirled towards him with a snarl. "Shut up, Emmett!" There wasn't anything funny about what happened between him and Millie. Jasper knew he had his work cut out for him, and he was eager to get back to her.

Carlisle shot the two of them a warning glare before he let out a heavy sigh. "Today certainly has been hectic."

Jasper agreed, but he was impatient to get back to his mate, so he took off. He reached the house in no time when he saw Esme waiting for him at the door.

He knew then and there that Millie had left. She had left without saying anything. "Where. Did. She. Go?"

Esme handed him a folded letter. He opened it and began reading:

_Dear Jasper,_

_I left. And I am not coming back anytime soon, so don't come looking for me. I'll find you when I am ready._

_Ps. Tell your wife her gift will return in a few days. But even then, she still won't be able to see me._

_Millie._

He crushed the letter in his hand and was about to look for Alice when his phone rang. It was Peter, so he answered it.

"What?" He barked out.

"Calm down, asshole, you better do right by her, but the first thing you have to do is wait." The line clicked, and Jasper put his phone away with a growl of frustration. He felt the Major rattling at his cage, but Jasper had no intention of letting him out unless it was absolutely necessary. Now wasn't the time.

He stormed upstairs to his and Alice's room, his rage threatening to erupt, but as he sat down on the bed, he knew he had no one to blame but himself.

The shame he felt over his past had never been greater. He didn't just see Millie's reaction, he felt the chaos of her emotions. The anger, grief, despair, and worst of all: her fear of him.

It nearly broke him. He had lived a life used to people fearing him. The Major never gave a damn about it, but Jasper did. While it was good that certain types of vampires feared him, that didn't mean he wanted everyone to and certainly not his fucking mate of all people. Usually, people's fear of him abated once they got to know the man behind the God of War. But Millie feared both the demon and the man.

The road ahead would be long and difficult. It had been easy enough to win over Maria and Alice, but he knew Millie would be different.

He had lost her within a matter of seconds. It went against every instinct he had to remain in his bedroom. The Texas-born vampire wanted to hunt her down and claim her so that everyone would know that she was his. When he first saw her on that baseball field, it took everything in him not to claim her right then and there.

Now she was somewhere in the world, and he was in his room. He instantly recalled the short note she had written. That soft, refined writing that was meant for him. Now it sat in the back of his pocket, crumpled, but safe and something to remember her by.

He snorted. As if he didn't have perfect memory. But still. As he thought about the note, several questions ran through his mind. What had Millie meant when she wrote that Alice wouldn't be able to see her? Was it another aspect of her gift? He frowned. But then if it was, why not use it in the first place? It had to be something else, or more likely, someone else with the power to block visions.

On that baseball field, Millie mentioned that she had a coven. He knew of several covens, but the only other vegetarian coven he knew about was the Denali. Where exactly did she run off to? There were countless possibilities. He had detected that hint of a southern accent in her voice (Mississippi most likely), but it wasn't a guarantee that she would be somewhere down South (after all, he was in goddamn Washington of all places).

He didn't like fucking waiting like this. In the dark and without a clue in hell about how to proceed, another thing that went against his nature.

Jasper took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down, but he remained on edge and upset. One might have laughed at the irony that the empath couldn't control his own emotions, but he wasn't in a laughing mood. There was nothing in the world that he wanted more than Millie. At that moment, she was the only thing that mattered.

His mind continued to race through the possibilities. What if she had a lover or was married? He shook his head, biting down a growl of pure fury. He couldn't think like that. If he didn't know, then he wouldn't jump to conclusions (however, if she did go back to a lover or husband, then that man was as good as fucking dead). Speaking of which...

Jasper looked up as his wife came into their room, a look of pure anguish on her face. "Alice," he acknowledged. On another occasion, he might have tried to calm her down, but in this case, he wouldn't mess with her emotions.

She didn't say anything; she just stared at him with aggrieved eyes. Well, he would break the ice then. "Millie said that your visions would return in a few days, but you still won't be able to see her."

His wife felt nothing but shock at that moment. "Why?"

"I suspect that wherever she went to, she knows a vampire with the ability to block her from your visions." He let out a sigh. "It's the theory that makes the most sense."

"She told me not to tell you where she went," Alice said quietly, looking at the floor.

"I imagine you wouldn't want to anyway if you did know," Jasper said. Alice had plenty of reasons not to, and they were obvious ones.

"Okay, that's true," his wife admitted before she looked back up at him. "Did you get her letter?"

He nodded. "I'm not going chasing after Millie." The word yet was left unsaid, yet it's weight was still there.

"You're not?" Alice's tone was hopeful. It began to seep into her emotions as well. This part he didn't enjoy. He loved Alice, and he enjoyed his time with her, but the only woman that would suit him now was his mate.

"No, I'm not. But enough about Millie. I want to talk about us."

"Us?" Again, there was a bit of hope, and it tugged at him a bit, but he brushed it aside, knowing what he had to do. "I want a divorce."

Alice's face crumpled, and she pursed her lips. Her emotions were all over the place, but her grief was the greatest, along with her anger. "No." She shook her head. "No! Not after over fifty years together! I love you!"

"I know you do," he said softly. "And I did love you, but you knew this was a possibility. Vampires don't turn away from their mates."

Alice stared at him in disbelief. "She left!" She shouted. "She left you!"

"I know," he said icily, giving her a warning look. "It still doesn't change what I want, and I want a divorce, Alice."

She shook her head wildly. "No! Not like this, I won't!"

"You won't?" He repeated, rising to his feet, eyes narrowed dangerously. "This can be done the easy way or the hard way Alice, either way, I will get that divorce."

Alice walked up to him, her eyes wide and filled with despair. "You don't have to do this."

"Yes, I do. One day when you meet your mate, you will understand." He felt her resignation and knew he would get what he wanted.

Alice looked away from him. "I'll sign them."

Jasper nodded. He would make this quick. "I'll have them waiting for your signature tomorrow." Now he could focus his full attention on Millie.

Months came and went, and he hated every moment that he was without his mate. He was close to the breaking point. Any more time without hearing a word, and then he would track her down himself. He had almost left the other day when that asshole Peter had called him up and told him to stay put.

He spent his time hunting, worrying, and occasionally talking to Peter and Charlotte. He hated it, but he had no one to blame but himself.

September came, and he was up in the guest room on the third floor, having moved all his things out from the room he used to share with Alice. He was reading (or trying to read) a book on 18th-century American politics.

Jasper heard her approach before she even knocked on the door. "Esme," Jasper said formally, closing his book and standing up. Esme was the gentlest of the Cullen family, and despite his initial reservations, he had taken to her.

"She'll come back, you know," Esme said gently, giving him a kind smile. He wasn't expecting that painful topic. How was she sure?

"Will she?"

"Yes, and if you do regret your past, which from what I have known of you, I believe you do, then you will have no issue taking it slow and showing Millie that," Esme said, pointedly.

"I do," he said quietly.

Esme beamed at him, her love and happiness rolling off her in waves. He might have chuckled, but he wasn't in a good mood. "Then you will be okay," she said before her expression grew serious. "I have something to show you," she said before she opened the window and leaped out onto the lawn behind the house.

Jasper was surprised, but he followed after her. He was curious about what she wanted to show him. Esme leaped over the river that ran behind the house and darted into the forest. She led him to a small clearing in the woods that contained a small and humble cottage.

"This old thing?" He questioned. "What about it?" It was one of those homes with a second floor, but it was small, nothing like the Cullen's house, and designed for two people at the most.

"I restored it for you," Esme said, turning to him with a warm smile. "Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, a small library, and a media room." She handed him a small golden key. "I have a copy for you to give to Millie when she gets here."

He blinked several times before he took the key, sending her a wave of his gratitude. "Thank you, Esme." A question still nagged at him. "What made you do this?"

Esme let out a laugh. "Dear, it's pretty obvious. You need your privacy to deal with Millie, and I already know she doesn't like Edward's mind-reading, so this will provide enough distance without her having to disable Edward's gift."

Jasper smirked a bit at the memory. "Well then, I better get started on moving my things here."

A few days had passed when Jasper was at the main house, having just recently beaten Emmett in a wrestling match, when he caught a familiar scent that had him at the door within mere seconds. He opened it and there stood his mate, looking as beautiful as the day he had first seen her. She wore a dark royal blue sweater that laced up along the arms and a pair of black jeans that hugged her hips and legs nicely. Her hair was pulled up into a very high bun, and a couple of golden hoops dangled from her ears. Everything about her begged him to claim her, but he knew better. Now wasn't the time for that.

"Hey," she said quietly, slowing bringing up her gaze to his own. Her emotions settled for the most part, but he could detect an undercurrent of uncertainty, nervousness, and fear.

"Hey," he returned gently, trying to set her at ease. It was tempting to use his gift, but he knew she wouldn't like it.

"I came to you to see if things work out," she finished, looking away from him again.

He nodded, his mind calculating what he would need to do to please her. "I am more than willing to do the work," he assured her. "And to make you happy."

She looked up at him again. "Okay," she said simply. "I'll be close by at the-"

He cut her off. "There is a small house across the river. Esme restored it." He wouldn't tolerate any further separation. "We can stay there away from the main house and where you won't have to worry about Edward reading your mind."

Millie stared at him for several moments before she finally nodded. "Alright, let me get my bags out of my car," she said before unlocking her car and opening the back door.

He grabbed her bags for her before leading Millie to the back of the house. They went outside, and he took her across the river and into the forest where the cottage was.

"How many bedrooms?" She asked as he opened the door, and they stepped inside the cottage.

"Two."

"Which one is yours?"

"I haven't chosen." He set her bags down. He couldn't see the future, but he could see this coming. "You can go ahead and chose which bedroom you like."

Millie glanced at him before she disappeared into the first bedroom and then checked out the second one. "Well, this one is the master bedroom, and it has a walk-in closet so..." she trailed off.

He nodded, somewhat amused that she had a thing for walk-in closets. He wondered if she had a taste for the finer life. They called it having a champagne taste down South. Alice had it, though her clothing taste seemed to differ from Millie's. "Go ahead, Millie, it doesn't bother me."

Millie looked at him for several long minutes before she finally spoke. "Are you doing anything tomorrow?"

"No."

"Then, I want to _talk._" Her meaning was clear, and her emotions resolute.

"Alright," Jasper agreed. He was somewhat surprised that she wanted to get it out of the way, but then he supposed it was easier to deal with his past upfront rather than wait. He was ready to fucking get it over with.

Millie grabbed her bags and made her way to her bedroom, but not before giving him one last look. "Goodnight, Jasper," she said softly before she disappeared into her room and shut the door behind her.

* * *

AN: So here is chapter 2! Again, I made several changes, but one of you (mrs Tall Blonde and Dead) had mentioned that you hoped that Millie wouldn't move in with the Cullens and go to school. I don't know about the school part yet, but as the two of them will remain in Washington right now, I think the cottage is appropriate for the two of them for now (thanks mrs Tall Blonde and Dead!). Thank you to everyone who left a review and favorited and followed this story! As always, I much appreciate it, and I hope y'all enjoyed the chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Millie took a quick shower the next morning and changed into a light brown long-sleeved shirt and a pair of black skinny jeans. She had kept her hair up in the high bun she wore yesterday, though she ditched the clip-on earrings. Most of the night was spent arranging the bedroom to her tastes and filling up her walk-in-closet.

She left the bedroom to find Jasper in the living room on the sofa, reading _All the President's Men _by Carl Bernstein. He was dressed simply in a long-sleeved dark blue henley and a pair of worn blue jeans. How could a man look so damn good reading a book?

"Good morning," she said cautiously as she took a seat next to him on the sofa.

"Morning." He inclined his head towards her before he closed his book and set it on the table.

"Are you ready to begin?"

"Yeah, I'm ready," she said, turning to where she could face him fully. "Don't mess with my emotions."

"I wouldn't." He paused, clearly considering a question or thought. "Before we begin, would you tell me something about yourself?"

Millie supposed that was an okay request. She was likely going to be pissed off pretty soon. "Alright," she agreed. "I can tell you some pretty basic stuff, but that's all you're getting right now."

"I'm ready whenever you are."

"I was born on December 17, 1910, in Meridian, Mississippi. My daddy was a sharecropper, and my mama was a maid. I was changed at the age of 20 in 1931."

He looked at her carefully. "You're a hundred and six."

"Hmm. I lived in the South most of the time, and I do have a coven back down in Louisiana that I am apart of."

He nodded, clearly processing everything she had just told him and the possible implications that she was sure he was making. "The rest you'll have to learn. Now let's get to it. When were you born exactly?"

"June 15, 1842, in Houston, Texas." A hundred and seventy-five then. And right towards the middle of the 19th century. "I was born to a working-class family who owned a saloon. I had a younger brother."

"I had two brothers and a sister," Millie informed him. "Go on, what else?"

"I learned the basics, though I wasn't given a fancy education like some of the more well to do families at that time." He frowned. "Of course, when I became a vampire, I started picking up a whole lot of things, and I do have a degree now. Several, in fact."

"How nice," Millie said, and she did mean it. Wallowing in ignorance was not a good look. "I didn't finish high school, but later on, after I became a vampire, I got a GED, and I have a few degrees too." And that was the very last thing she would say about herself. It felt natural, the back and forth, but now was not the time. This wouldn't be pleasant.

"When I was seventeen, I lied about my age to join the confederate army," he said, giving her a cautious glance. He should be careful because her temper was close to snapping. Lying to join the damn confederacy?

"Why? And don't tell me you didn't know the reasons behind the South seceding." And honestly, she was curious. Neo-confederates loved to say that the Civil War wasn't about slavery; that it was about states' rights. Millie knew better. It was nothing more than a racist dog whistle designed to distract from the South's guilt regarding slavery and white supremacy.

Jasper was silent for several moments before he finally answered. "I was eager for a fight, and I didn't like Yankees dictating to the South. I didn't believe in slavery, but I still had the typical bigoted views of that era." He let out a sigh. "You're right that I knew the official reasons, but it didn't matter to me. I thought I could join for my own reasons."

"How long were you in the army?"

"A year and a half; I was changed in 1863."

Millie was indecisive about where to direct the conversation next. She wanted to know it all, but she didn't know where to go next. She drummed her fingers on the armrest of the couch before she made a quick decision.

"What did you do while you served in the army?"

"I never did any official fighting while I was in the confederate army," he answered. "I was given training, and I did things like scouting and keeping watch. When Maria found me, I was evacuating women and children."

Millie considered the name. Maria. Of course, she had heard rumors about that woman, but never as many as the Major.

"Maria," she repeated, suddenly uncertain. Was she just Jasper's sire, or had she been something more to him?

She looked at him again. "So the first army you joined, which I don't know how you earned that rank, (actually she had a good guess as to why), was a treasonous rebellion that wanted to preserve the status quo, which we both know was white supremacy." Her lips curled up in distaste. "What was the goal of this second army?"

"How much have you heard about the Southern Wars?"

She shrugged. "I'm assuming not the entire story. I knew that they were going on. I have heard a bit about Maria, and of course, your reputation was infamous. Vampires clans were fighting one another down there: why?"

A distant look came into his eyes before he finally answered. "Down south, when I was down there: the world was very different. The life-span of immortals was measured in weeks, not centuries."

"You know as vampires that the one thing that sates us is human blood, and down there, the more access you had, the easier it was to feed; the more you could feed."

Millie gave him a look of disbelief. "All of that? Over human blood?" There was plenty of it! There were humans everywhere in the world! "What made the South so crucial that all those clans had to remain there?"

"Power, greed, and being perpetually thirsty aren't good combinations." His face darkened. "And that wasn't the only motive. There was an element of revenge. Vampires could hold grudges, and they did. They do not forgive nor forget, and neither did I."

Millie glared at him. "And now you want my forgiveness. Isn't that ironic?" She asked coldly.

Jasper grimaced. "It is," he acknowledged.

It sounded like hell, and Millie was sure that if she had been in that environment, she would have tried to run away. "What happened after you were changed?"

Jasper stiffened slightly. "With my military background, Maria found me useful and placed me in charge of training the newborns. And when I realized that I could manipulate emotions, I became second in command."

Now, this was surprising to hear. "I'm surprised you allowed that," Millie remarked, tilting her head slightly to the side. "Maria...she's Mexican, presumably?"

It was easy to tell that she had slightly caught him off guard with that particular line of questioning. She wasn't sure why she had asked in the first place. Racists could and did date people from other races. An uneasy feeling settled over her causing Jasper to give her a concerned look.

"I'm fine. Answer the question."

"Yes," he said, and his eyes darkened somewhat. "Maria was my sire," he hesitated slightly. "And my lover."

"Did you enjoy fighting in all those wars?" Millie wasn't sure how she felt about that revelation. It was a long time ago, but still, Jasper was her mate, and the thought of him with another woman, and a vicious and power-hungry one at that, didn't sit right with her.

"I thought that fighting and violence was a natural part of vampire life, but it wasn't a good life. It was hell, and it began to take its toll eventually."

"I can only imagine," she said before she let out a soft sigh. A particular thought came to mind. "So were these armies made of gifted vampires or..."

"They were newborn armies," he answered. "And I think you can imagine why that would be an advantage." She nodded, and he continued. "After their first year, we destroyed them. There were exceptions, and they tended to be vampires that were either very useful or gifted."

"How long did you fight?"

"I didn't leave until 1938," he said softly, and she let out a low hiss in horror. "I changed a vampire back in 1900, his name was Peter, and he had taken off with his mate, which I allowed." He smiled faintly. "He came back years later and told me there was another way to this life."

"I can feel people's emotions. Every vampire I killed, every human I killed, I could feel it all: their horror, their despair, and their fear." That distant look came into his eyes again. "I hated it, and the only thing that made it bearable was Peter and Charlotte, his mate."

"What about Maria?" Didn't his lover comfort him?

"Towards the end, her emotions changed towards me. They were malicious, and I knew what I had to do." His face hardened. "I was going to destroy her."

"I would have left before then," Millie said flatly. "Especially if you felt all those emotions. It would have driven me insane."

"It didn't drive me insane," Jasper said quietly. "But it created a defense mechanism within me. One that could do what was necessary and not give a damn. It's why they called me the Major, and even the God of War."

A shudder ran down her spine. "A defense mechanism?"

He grimaced, and his eyes darkened once more, which scared the hell out of her, considering they were already dark. Something in them told Millie to run. That death itself sat next to her, but she forced herself to ignore it.

"It wasn't me," he said, his voice as icy as a hailstorm. "You won't find another instance like it. Call it an alternate personality, a monster, a demon, or whatever." He stared straight into her eyes. "Just know that he was there, and it was he that helped me deal with the reality of the Southern Wars."

"He?" Her voice didn't shake, but her emotions were a different story. _He's your mate__. __Calm down. He's your mate. Mates don't attack one another. _"So, he's gone?"

A brief look at his face and she had an answer. "He's locked away. I don't let him out unless it's necessary."

_And when do you think it's "necessary"?_ But Millie didn't want the answer to that question at the moment. "Okay, so this, Peter? He saved you?" A much safer topic and one that would help calm her nerves.

His demeanor relaxed somewhat, and he nodded. "He served under my command. Peter's like a brother to me."

"A useful vampire?"

"Useful and gifted," he corrected. "He can't control it, but sometimes he gets information, and it's never wrong."

That was quite a handy gift. "And Charlotte?"

"I sired her as well, and while she has always been useful, she doesn't have a gift. Maria wanted me to destroy her." His voice tightened slightly. "When the time came, Peter told her to run, and he followed after her."

"Are they as old as you are?"

He shook his head. "No, both of them were born after the Civil War, though both Peter and Char were born in Texas."

"So you left Maria in 1938, and then you were with Peter and Charlotte until...?"

"Peter and Charlotte have always been like family, and they are my coven, but even though human blood is satisfying, I still had to feel their emotions, and it still bothered me." He closed his eyes briefly. "It's hard to cut myself off from feeling the emotions of everyone. Even now, though, it is easier to control my gift."

_And this is where that "defense mechanism" comes in, isn't it? You feel too much, and this other part of you does_ not.

"Ten years later, I was out in the rain in Philadelphia, and I happened to walk into a diner where I found Alice. She told me that I didn't have to feed the way I did, and then two years later, we found the Cullens."

Millie decided that what he told her would suffice for now. "So, you want to stay here?"

The look on his face would have been funny if it weren't for the present circumstances. "In Washington?" He scoffed. "I only barely tolerate these dark rainy hellholes because it's easier to live as a vampire. When I finish school, we are meeting up with Peter and Charlotte and going back down South."

Wait a minute. "School?"

"Yes, high school. Whenever we move, we pick up at the local high school. The younger we start, the longer we can stay in one area," Jasper explained.

She scowled. "High school? You couldn't do college here?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes, but for now, it's high school. Emmett and Rosalie graduated, so it's just me, Edward, and Alice." His expression hardened. "And, Bella."

"That human girl? How did she even discover who you are?" Humans were either food or changed. They weren't allowed to know the secret. The punishment for breaking that sacred law was death.

"Edward," he said, clearly agitated by that particular topic. "You can blame him. He nearly exposed the entire coven when he prevented a truck from killing that girl. I would have corrected it, but Carlisle said no." She didn't have to guess what corrected meant, and she agreed in principle.

"This is a goddamn mess," she groaned, massaging her temples and leaning back against the couch.

...

Well, she was right about that. It was a goddamn mess, and it was gonna take quite a bit of work to get it all straightened out.

"Anything else on your mind?" He could feel the negative emotions radiating from her. If he could ease her unhappiness by answering more questions, then he would do it.

_This wouldn't be an issue if weren't for your goddamn past, _the Major growled in his head. _This fucking cage won't hold forever; I'll get out, and you'll be in here! _Jasper gritted his teeth, pushing his anger back down. That hypocrite, as if his exploits were any better!

Millie looked at him through narrowed eyes. There was a change in her emotions, and now he felt her distrust and suspicion.

"You look pissed off," she pointed out harshly. "Are my questions bothering you?"

"No, it's not you," he said quickly, cursing out his counterpart in his head. "I just had an unwanted thought, and it had nothing to do with you, I promise."

"Okay." Her emotions betrayed the fact that she was still suspicious. He swore at the Major, trying to calm his rising anger. Did he want him to come off like an insensitive jackass?

"I'll answer any of your questions," he said, softening his voice slightly. "If it'll help you, I don't have any problems answering your questions."

Millie looked down at her hands. "I still have questions, but that's enough for now." Her head snapped up towards him, her eyes narrowed. "This school thing is another matter, though. Are you expecting me to go to high school?" Her irritation flared once again.

_Our mate is right to hate this high school nonsense,_ the Major grumbled._ There are other things, more pleasurable things we could be doing. _Jasper took a deep breath at his words, willing himself to keep his thoughts focused on the matter at hand.

"No, I don't expect you to go to high school," he said, keeping his reluctance out of his voice. He didn't want to spend extended amounts of time away from Millie (not after the last few months of hell), but he wasn't going to force it on her. Maybe he could drop out, but with all the attention drawn to his family lately, he didn't want to risk causing even more rumors. "It's entirely up to you."

His mate scowled and crossed her arms against her chest. "Fine," she growled. "I'll go to high school just this one time."

"It's a small school, and it starts this Thursday, so we'll have to come up with a plausible story and get you enrolled in the school," he decided. The most believable story would be that she was a transfer student and forging documents to prove it wasn't an issue. He would visit Jenks tomorrow and get everything taken care of. He made a mental note to make sure Millie and Alice didn't have the same classes together.

Millie let out an irritated sigh before she suddenly went still. Her dominant emotion was uncertainty, but he could detect the tiniest hint of jealousy, which surprised him.

"You...you divorced your wife, right?"

Ah, so it was about Alice. Did she really think he would remain married when he knew he had a mate? It was unthinkable and disrespectful. Alice had thrown a fit, but he had gotten his way in the end, and she had signed the papers. "I took care of that right after you left." He was a single and wealthy man again. Actually, not single, just not in another relationship.

The question came out before he could stop it: "You aren't with anyone, are you?"

He could feel her anger flare up, and she scowled at him. "I wasn't with anyone, so you don't have anything to worry about!"

"Alright," he said, though inwardly he was relieved and pleased even if he was surprised that such a beautiful woman had been single. "Why did you ask? Were you worried I would remain married?"

"Well, not at first," Millie grumbled, not willing to meet his gaze. "But I had to be sure."

She stood up and stretched before she turned to him. "What do you eat around here?" Her eyes were dark, and he knew that his eyes were black too. It had been a while since he had hunted, and he would have to hunt before they returned to school.

"There are plenty of options to choose from," he said as he stood up as well. "Bears, mountain lions, deer, and elk are the most fulfilling ones." It was mostly the same to him, Emmett and Edward had their preferences, but Jasper usually hunted whatever animal was closest to him.

Millie wrinkled her perfect nose. "What about the ocean?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "The ocean?" It had never occurred to him to try and feed on sea animals.

The small smile that appeared on her face warmed his undead heart. "You've never tried marine animals?"

He shook his head ruefully. "No. I hadn't even thought to try them." He wondered if they tasted any better than the land ones.

"Whales, big fish, dolphins, sharks, manta rays, octopuses." Millie listed them off her fingers. "And not just the ocean, swamps, and lakes will do where you can find alligators, crocodiles, and snakes." She disappeared into her room and returned with her laptop. "Let's see what's up here."

"Try the Salish Sea," he suggested, referring to the sea that was up North of them. They could go west to the Pacific, but they would have to go all the way around Quileute lands so they wouldn't break the treaty. Might as well head North.

Her fingers drummed against the laptop. "What's wrong with going west?"

"Carlisle has a treaty with werewolves, and we can't go into their lands," he said bluntly. "We could go west, but it would be out of the way to reach the Pacific."

Her fingers stopped, and she closed the laptop and looked up at him, her eyes wide in shock. "Werewolves?"

He shrugged. "I never met them. Carlisle ran across them back in the 30s, and they made a treaty. I'll tell you all the rules later." Usually, he didn't like being dictated to in regards to how he fed (not that Jasper planned on hunting humans), but he respected the treaty. And he was glad that he didn't have the complication of having a mate who fed on humans.

He could feel her irritation flare up again once her surprise settled down. "Alright then," she huffed, opening the laptop once again. She shut it after several moments and disappeared into her room again, returning with her hair hanging down to her shoulders. "Let's go."

They took off towards the North, entering the forest once again, passing countless numbers of trees, shrubs, fallen logs, and various animals. He slowed his speed down to keep up with Millie, who was fast and agile but slower than him. They eventually crossed the highway and disappeared into another set of trees and sloping hills until the smell of salt was in the air. They were close.

They reached the beach as the waves crashed against the shore, the wind blowing and creating a chilly scene. Not that the weather bothered him, but the sky was cloudy and grey, and it looked ready to rain at any second.

Millie stepped in front of him. "There are some orcas nearby. Do you want to try one?"

He nodded, focusing on his senses and allowing pure instinct to take over. He could smell them, even above the water, and it made him even more thirsty. There weren't too far off the beach, but the distance didn't matter. They could not outswim him.

Millie darted into the water, and he followed close behind, wading further and further out until he spotted his prey swimming beneath the surface. He dove under, his legs propelling him towards the orcas. Millie kept up with him until they reached the animal, and she grabbed the orca by its fin and sent it towards him with a mighty push. He caught it, and with a couple of well-placed hits, it was dead.

He held the dead orca and kicked towards the surface. Millie surfaced next to him, placing her hands on the orca's side, ready to feed.

Jasper sank his teeth into the orca, hitting the correct place as the blood instantly seeped into his mouth. The taste reminded him of something fresh and green, like one of the salads his mama made for him as a child, with a hint of something that belonged to one of the citrus fruits.

It was better. Better than any bear or mountain lion and certainly any fucking deer or elk. Jasper drank greedily, enjoying the fact that the blood actually sated his appetite for once. When he had finished, he pushed himself away from the orca, only to see Millie had finished and was watching him with curious eyes that were now a warm butterscotch.

"You drank like a man who went several days without water," she said as she swam closer to him. "Is that what you've really been eating the whole time? Forest animals?"

"Pretty much, but it gave me peace, so I didn't complain." He was kicking himself inwardly. Why the hell hadn't he thought of this?

"Well, now you know," his mate said. "There are other animals out there to try." She grabbed the fin of the orca and pushed it towards him. "We'll have to rip it apart. The fish and other scavengers will devour the remaining pieces."

Jasper grabbed the dead orca, an animal that must have weighed thousands of pounds, and began to tear at it. Millie worked at it on the other side, and soon it was nothing but pieces of flesh, and the fish were already carrying off the tiny pieces.

He decided to try his luck with a conversation. "You mentioned a coven down south," he remarked as they walked back towards the forest, soaking wet, but it really didn't bother him, and he knew it didn't bother Millie. In fact, he loved the way the water dripped off her skin and how her dark, tight curls hung heavy with water.

"Yes, I'm from a coven down south in Louisiana," Millie answered after several moments of silence. "The head of the coven is Obadiah." That was an old name. More appropriate for his era or maybe even Millie's. He knew of a few covens in the Deep South, and of course, the ones down in Mexico, but he hadn't heard of anything from Louisiana.

"Oba was born right at the end of the Civil War in Georgia," his mate continued. "1865, to be exact. There are five of us, and we're all black and from the Deep South."

She gave him a side glance. "They all know who you are, or I should say they are aware of your human and vampire reputation."

"They all hate me then."

There was a short silence before she sighed. "I would say yes, but they are curious about you too. Their feelings might improve if they see you are a changed man." He would have to prove it to her coven as well then. From her emotions, it was clear that she felt affection for her coven, and he didn't want to be the cause of her falling out with them because they thought he was still the same piece of shit he had been in his human days.

They continued in silence until she spoke up. "The Cullens...what should I know about them?"

"Carlisle is the head of the coven," he answered. "He was born in early 17th century England to a very strict preacher."

"I can only imagine how strict. It was a very intolerant time."

That was true, and Carlisle himself would have agreed. "His father was the kind of man that tortured innocent people on the assumption that they were vampires."

"A wannabe vampire hunter?" He could feel her disbelief.

"Not a very good one because he only ever found humans. Carlisle, on the other hand, did find an actual vampire, and that's how he came into this life." The son proved more competent than the father and was rewarded with damnation. Or at least that's how Edward would have put it with his brooding outlook on vampire life.

"And I assume he changed his mate next?"

"No, Esme wasn't even born until 1886. He traveled the world and even stayed with the Volturi until he found Edward and his mother in a hospital ward during the outbreak of Spanish influenza in 1917."

"So, the mind reader was the first?"

"Yes, then Esme in 1922, and then Rosalie in 1933 and then Emmett two years later."

"And you and Alice joined them in 1950," Millie stated before she stopped suddenly. Her emotions were sharp with suspicion, resentment, and frustration.

He stopped and turned to face her. "What's wrong?"

Her eyes met his own, and he could see the same emotions reflected there. "So, you're not the only Cullen with a racist past?"

It dawned on him what she meant. "They were all brought up in the 19th and early 20th century."

"Hmm." Her barefoot kicked a rock, causing it to shatter. "And we both know those weren't tolerant times."

He wasn't sure how to ease her concerns.

Millie sighed before she kicked another rock to pieces with her barefoot. "Yeah, well, I will find out eventually who is and isn't racist." She looked up at him. "Is Emmett from the south?"

The question threw him off, but he quickly recovered. "Yes, born in Tennessee in 1915."

Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. "Anyone else born in the South?"

He knew where she was going, but he had to answer anyways. "You know Alice was born in Mississippi. She doesn't remember anything about her human life. The only information she knows is because she tracked down living relatives and did some research."

"Hmm." She kicked another rock against a tree before she looked up at him again. Her emotions were a familiar cocktail to him now, her anger, irritation, sadness, and that underlying fear beneath it all. It would come and go, sometimes overtaken by other emotions when she was distracted, but it was her general feelings towards him and the situation she was in, and he hated it.

"Well, at least we have some privacy to ourselves," she said pointedly. "And I should say if that mind reader comes around me, I'm turning his gift off."

He bit back a smirk. Edward had complained multiple times even after she undid her gift. It served him right, and it was a welcome relief from that nosy bastard.

"By the way," he began. "Alice is throwing a party for Bella at the house next week. You're invited if you want to go."

He could feel her surprise. "Party?" She repeated.

"Bella's turning eighteen, and while Alice is the main force behind the party, Edward likes to keep track of these human ceremonies."

"He values her humanity, is that it?"

He rolled his eyes before looking back at her. "Something like that."

"Maybe," Millie said, kicking another rock. "Ask me next week, and I'll have an answer then." She frowned. "It's just vampires, right? Not a bunch of high schoolers?"

"The only human that will be there is Bella."

"Good." She wrinkled her nose. "It's bad enough there will be humans at the school, especially high schoolers."

He couldn't argue with that. In fact, he agreed with her. "Let's go home."

* * *

AN: Alright, so here is chapter 3! I hope you all enjoyed it! And thank you to everyone who left a review, favorited, or followed this story!


	4. Chapter 4

How had she not seen this coming?

Alice stared up at the ceiling in her bedroom, unblinking and unmoving. It was early in the morning, and it was a couple of hours before school started. Today was her best friend's birthday, and Alice intended to throw a party for Bella that evening, and yet all she could do at the moment was think about the past several months.

In a blink of an eye, she had lost her husband, and she was alone again.

When Alice came into this new life, she had been alone, a bloodthirsty creature with no past and no one to guide her in the immediate present. When she understood what her visions were, she embraced them, finding the future much more reliable.

Out of the many visions she had seen, one remained consistent. However, she had to wait for Jasper to come to her because of his hateful environment.

And wait, she did. Eighteen years flew by until Jasper was ready. She sat in that diner in Philadelphia and waited, and the rest was history.

68 years. He had been her companion, her friend, her lover, and her husband. Alice didn't want anyone else. Jasper was hers, and no one but him would suffice.

She hadn't seen it coming — what a sick twist of fate.

Alice rolled onto her side, her face shifting into a deep frown. How could her visions fail her? Why did they not warn her that the man she loved would leave her for someone else?

Of course, Alice knew all about the concept of mates. However, no one knew when they would meet their mate, so it was not unheard of for vampires to take lovers. After all, eternity was a long time.

School or no school? She closed her eyes as she made the decision not to go to school that day. Nothing happened. Bella would understand, and life would go on. Alice could stay in her room, forget the rest of the day and wallow in her own misery. It was so tempting, and she saw how her decision would play out at no cost to her.

It was very tempting, but she couldn't forget about Bella. Her best friend deserved to have her birthday celebrated and by people who cared for her.

A heavy sigh escaped her, and she allowed the vision to come to her once again, but this time she decided to go to school and have that birthday party. The day wouldn't mean much of anything, but the party would be good. The family would be happy, and Bella would enjoy herself (even if she didn't appreciate clothes off the runway like Alice did).

The pixie vampire rolled onto her back, wishing she could cry real tears. One baseball game, one chance meeting in that field, and it had all gone to hell right then and there. Why the hell hadn't she seen it? How could her visions fail her that badly?

Millie Howard.

Alice never hated anyone as much as she did that woman. Millie wasn't even worthy enough to be recognized as Jasper's mate. The psychic vampire wouldn't acknowledge that bond even if deep down, she knew the hurtful truth.

Really how was Millie any different than that bitch Maria, who had kept Alice from the love of her life for her own selfish reasons? The infamous warlord had lost her mate, and still, Maria had kept Jasper by her side for her own selfish purposes.

Millie's selfishness was the same. The woman was supposedly Jasper's mate, yet she didn't want him. Alice wasn't stupid. They were both aware of Jasper's reputation and the fact that he joined the Confederacy when he was human.

Millie was black, and Jasper was white, and those two facts had given them entirely different upbringings in the South.

Alice knew that Jasper's past bothered Millie on a level she couldn't even fathom herself. So why even pretend? Why come back? Why not let Jasper go? He was happy with Alice. Didn't that matter?

She let out a few dry sobs, curling up into a ball in agony. How did she even agree to that divorce? And so easily? It felt like another person signed those papers, but in reality, it was her. These last few months without Jazz by her side had been pure hell. The pixie missed him too much. She missed his quiet smiles and that tender love in his eyes that was reserved for her. She missed the subtle waves of emotion from him that he sometimes sent that let her know how much she meant to him. And their lovemaking, to think that they would never make love again, hurt too much.

They had been perfect for one another, and now it was all gone in an instant.

Alice stood up and walked over to her enormous closet. She picked out her outfit for the evening well in advance. A deep purple knee-length dress with thick spaghetti straps and a silver jeweled pendant that sat at the front and center of her dress was perfect for the occasion. She chose a pair of the latest pair of Yves Saint Laurent patent leather ballet flats and her ribbon choker necklace with the Cullen crest on it to go with her outfit.

Her hands balled into fists, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm the simmering rage she felt. It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair!

The pixie vampire turned back to her closet. Clothes were always a passion of hers, but now she needed them as a distraction. If she didn't have that, she would lose it, and it wouldn't be pretty. School started in an hour, and she needed to be there to see her best friend. Plus, she wanted to give Bella her gift before the party.

Alice flicked through the countless options she had in regards to her clothes and shoes. While she had a bit of every color, she especially loved her blacks, greys, dark blues, and dark purples. And sometimes even a bit of white.

She paused just as she reached for a grey blouse from Jean Paul Gaultier. A sudden streak of competitiveness flared up within her. What was Millie wearing? It was only appropriate to see what exactly her so-called successor was like, and an excellent way to do that was through her fashions choices. Only one way to find that out. She checked the future and saw Millie, sitting in a classroom, looking bored but stunning in a soft pink sweater that hung off one shoulder and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans with dark grey boots with thick three-inch heels. Her hair was pulled up into a high bun with her thick curls on display with two loose tendrils hanging in her face.

Alice would have thrown up if she was human. How could she ever compete with someone as gorgeous as Millie was? Even Rosalie would struggle, and her beauty was something out of the legends.

She closed her eyes and allowed the vision to go away before she opened them again. A growl of frustration ripped from her lips as she flicked through her wardrobe. What was she going to wear? She decided that instead of wearing jeans and a beautiful blouse, she would wear a dress. And not just any kind of dress...

Her hand ran over the delicate and expensive fabric. It was a black dress with a trimmed gold fabric along the line of the skirt from Versace. It would work for the day, and it would be her first time wearing it too, which was a bonus. She also needed a nice jacket to go with it. A lovely black leather jacket...there it was, a three-quarter sleeved cropped, black, leather jacket. What else did she need? She was short, so she always tried to make her legs look beautiful and long. She was wearing a dress, so a pair of stockings would do — a nice pair of black sheer stockings and a pair of black Tory Burch ballet flats.

Alice stepped into her bathroom, took a shower, and washed her hair. What to do with it?

It had always been very short, but sometimes she wondered why she had cut it in her human life. She had been changed in the very early twenties before the flapper fashion came into vogue, so she doubted that it was the reason. Had she even been fashion-conscious back then? Her lips curled up into a bitter smile. From the little she knew, she wouldn't have had the time to care about such a thing.

Shaking herself from her dark thoughts, Alice decided she would make it work as she always did. After she hopped out of the shower and dried off, she walked to her dresser and opened the drawer, and pulled out a black satin bra with a matching set of panties before she changed into her outfit.

The pixie then set to work on her hair with a curling wand, working her short tendrils into tiny curls before she fixed it with a holding spray. Alice then put on some beautiful Estee Lauder purple lipstick and eyeshadow before she nodded in satisfaction at her appearance. She grabbed her black Dior bag and Bella's present and pranced downstairs to where Rosalie and Emmett were.

"Rose, I need to borrow your car," she said, flashing a smile at her blonde sister.

Rosalie rolled her eyes but nodded. "You know where the keys are."

Emmett grinned. "Have fun at school!"

Alice stuck her tongue out at him and went and retrieved Rosalie's keys to her sleek red BMW. It was beautiful, but Alice preferred a different kind of car. Something like a Porsche 911 and maybe in a color like yellow. She got in the car and peeled off down the driveway, headed for town.

In no time, she arrived at the school and saw that Edward's Volvo was there as well as a shiny white Range Rover Evoque Sport, which belonged to none other than the very woman that had stolen the man she loved.

Alice got out of the car and walked into the building where she knew Bella and Edward would be.

"Bella!" She greeted, giving her best friend a warm smile. Bella and her birthday provided a welcome distraction from the current pain and mess she called her life.

Edward gave her a sympathetic look, which she ignored as she embraced Bella. "Happy Birthday!"

"Alice!" Bella protested as they pulled apart. "Don't mention it."

Alice pulled out her gift and handed it to Bella, who let out a sigh. "I thought I said no gifts."

"I've already seen you open it," Alice said with a knowing smile. "And guess what? You love it!"

Bella gave her an exasperated look. "What's in here?" She asked, shaking the present slightly.

"You'll wear it tonight," Alice informed her. "Our place. Seven O'clock."

"I have work!"

"Ah, ah." Alice wagged her finger with a smug smile. "I called Mrs. Newton and spoke to her about it. She's trading your shifts. And she also wanted me to tell you 'Happy Birthday.'" Bella should have known better. Alice was always prepared and one step ahead.

It wasn't hard to ignore the inner voice that taunted her with the knowledge that she hadn't been prepared for the possibility that Jasper would find his mate.

"Oh, alright," Bella huffed. "You had it planned all along, didn't you?"

Oh, just a couple of months. "Of course, it'll be fun, I promise! What could go wrong?"

"Okay, okay, I'll be there."

Alice looked at Edward. "Have her there on time, Edward. This party must be perfect!"

Edward rolled his eyes but nodded. Alice smiled at both of them. "See you tonight!"

She pranced off to her first class as fast as she could without using her vampiric speed. When she got to her class, her smile dropped, and the dense cloud was over her once more.

She checked the future multiple times to see if anything would change. And most of all, she decided to check and see if Jasper would change. But no matter how many times she looked, it was crystal clear that he would not change his mind. Millie was his mate.

Desperate, she tried to check and see if there was a possibility of her finding her mate soon, but there was no such luck.

During lunch, Alice went outside to where a multipath walkway led to the different buildings of the school. There were a few tables outside for the students to hang out during lunch or a free period, and Alice was just about to take a seat when her entire body froze.

At one of the tables, Millie looked down at what appeared to be an iPad. Her head snapped up and met Alice's gaze with narrowed eyes.

Alice didn't care what happened. She made a decision and walked over to Millie and sat down across from her.

Millie leaned back somewhat and gave her a "what do you want?" look.

"Aren't mates supposed to be attached at the hip?" Alice started, wincing inwardly at the slight tremble in her voice.

"If that were true, then I wouldn't have been gone for several months now, would I?"

Bitch. The pixie vampire swallowed heavily before she tried again. "You know I love him."

Millie nodded. "That seemed pretty obvious. What is it you want to tell me?"

"Give him back to me," she blurted out without even thinking. "I'm not stupid. I know there are race issues with you and Jasper...it would be the best for everyone."

Millie's eyes flashed dangerously. "How convenient. The two of you can go off into the sunset without thinking about race or racism, and I can just suffer without my mate?"

That threw her off. "I...you are angry with him."

"You can't even imagine how angry." Millie stood up. "That doesn't mean I'm going to be alone and in agony because of the mating bond. Jasper's past actions are the problem, and the whole reason our relationship is strained right now." Her eyes darkened slightly. "Why should I suffer alone? And why in the hell would I give him to you?"

Alice didn't have to be an empath to know that Millie was seething with rage. She held up her hands in a placating manner. "You left him once," she reminded her. "I don't think you can blame me for thinking you could do it again."

Millie picked up her handbag and tablet. "I could do it," she acknowledged. "But that doesn't mean he would come back to you." The southern vampire walked off without a backward glance, leaving behind a stunned and angry Alice.

The pixie vampire went back to class, feeling a sense of emptiness and despair. She ditched her last two classes, eager for some alone time before she started to prepare for the evening. She drove around aimlessly before finally pulling over and sobbing as much as she could. It hurt. Everything hurt. And the only way to fix it was impossible.

After several excruciating moments, Alice finally calmed herself down and decided to focus on preparing the house for Bella's party. She went to Port Angeles to pick up the cake she had ordered (her best friend's had an aversion to excessive luxury, so Alice had decided to choose Safeway as a sort of compromise), and on her way home, she picked up the decorations as well.

She pulled up in front of the house, and Esme appeared, a welcoming smile on her face. "Hello dear, need any help?"

No, she didn't need any, but it was welcome all the same. "Sure, can you get the cake for me?"

"Of course." Esme lifted the three-tier pink cake with buttercream icing out of the car and carried it into the house.

Now for the decorations. Alice had already seen how she had placed everything in her vision, so it was simple enough to go about decorating the front porch and the living room where the party was going to take place.

Esme approached her as she set up the glass table, a look of concern on her face. "I haven't bothered you lately, but I will ask: are you alright?" Her voice was tender and filled with a warmth that Alice could only appreciate.

She hadn't seen that coming either. Must have been a last-minute decision, but it was a welcome one. "I'm..." It was a struggle to find the right words, especially after that disastrous encounter with Millie. And god only knows if she told Jasper about that. "I'm okay as much as I can be right now." There, that ought to do it, and it was the truth.

The Cullen matriarch nodded carefully. "If you ever want to talk, you know I'm here for you as always."

Alice gave her a small smile. It was hard not to when Esme was around. "Of course, I'll keep that in mind."

After everything was set up, she went upstairs to her room, where she decided to take a relaxing bath. It would ease her distressed nerves.

After a long soak (good thing her skin didn't prune anymore), she got up and changed into her outfit for the evening. She carefully styled her hair so that it was slick and neat and accentuated her face. She pranced downstairs when a vision appeared in her mind. She frowned. So, Millie had made up her mind and would be there. The party would be fine, but Alice didn't want the woman there. But then, if Millie stayed away, Jasper would have skipped the party to keep her company.

"Alice," Emmett boomed good-naturedly as he came downstairs. Her massive brother was well polished for once. He wore a rolled-up dark grey shirt with a dark shadow colored vest over it. And while he didn't wear slacks, he did wear black jeans and a pair of black shoes.

"Decent, Emmett," she chirped, though there was no bite to her comment. "Where's Rose?"

"Still getting ready," Emmett said. "She'll probably come down when the party starts and not before then."

Alice couldn't be surprised by that either. It was no secret that Rosalie despised Bella and didn't like that she knew their secret.

"I'm actually looking forward to this little shindig your throwing pixie."

Alice rolled her eyes. Shindig? But she agreed with the sentiment. "Well, it's been a while since we've celebrated a proper birthday."

Esme eventually joined them. She had straightened her caramel waves and had changed into a light purple dress with ruffles along the neckline, bodice, and shoulders of her outfit. She wore a silver heart on a chain around her neck, and her expression was warm and loving.

"Carlisle should be here any minute now," she said, and sure enough, they could all hear the sound of his black Mercedes pulling into the driveway that led to the house.

Carlisle walked in the door and greeted Esme with a kiss. "You look lovely," he said, the love for his mate evident in his eyes.

Alice rolled her eyes, inwardly jealous and sickened at the display of affection. "Carlisle, go and get dressed! Bella will be here soon!" The Cullen patriarch shook his head before he headed to his room.

A familiar scent caught her nose, and she froze for a moment before she quickly moved back from the door, deciding to occupy herself with some last-minute check overs.

"It's Jazzman and Millie!" Emmett went to the door and opened it. Jasper walked into the foyer, looking quite handsome in a nice dark blue pullover sweater with a pair of straight black jeans and black loafers. Her blonde Apollo was as stunning as ever, and he made her insides melt. But her attention was quickly caught by the woman who was now the mate of her ex-husband. Millie came in behind him, looking a bit uncertain but dressed for the occasion. She wore a deep burgundy sleeveless dress and what seemed to be a pair of expensive black strappy Jimmy Choos. She held a silver-wrapped gift in her hands.

"Jazz! Millie!" Emmett greeted jovially. "Just in time, because I think Bella and Edward should be pulling up any moment now."

Millie gave him a small smile. Jasper arched a golden eyebrow. "Where's Rose?"

Emmett smirked. "Upstairs. Don't' worry, she'll be down here soon, and she'll be on her best behavior."

"They are here!" Alice called to everyone in the house as the sound of Edward's Volvo approached the house. "Rose, Carlisle, get down here!"

The door opened, and in walked an awkward-looking Bella Swan and Edward. Thankfully, Bella was wearing the green and black dress that Alice picked out for her (even if she did eye those tennis shoes with distaste).

Several happy birthdays greeted Bella. "Sorry we couldn't reign Alice in," Esme said as she embraced Bella. "Happy Birthday, Bella."

"Thanks, Esme," Bella said, and Alice could see that she genuinely meant it.

"It's time. It's time!" Alice squealed as she picked up one of the presents and handed it to Rosalie. Her sister coldly gave it to Bella, who opened the box and saw it was empty.

The birthday girl looked at them. "Umm, thanks?" Alice bit back a laugh.

Rosalie cracked a smile, and Emmett laughed good naturally. "It's a radio for that old piece of junk you call a truck." He grinned. "I've already installed it."

Bella gave him a mock glare. "Don't diss the truck," she admonished playfully. Her best friend was genuinely pleased with the gift. Light laughter erupted in the room, and Alice was glad that the party was going smoothly.

"Jasper and Millie wanted to give you theirs next," Alice said, her voice less chirper as Millie stepped forward.

"Consider it a hello present as well," Millie said as she handed Bella the small and narrow box wrapped in silver paper. Bella took it and stuck her finger under the wrapper and jammed upwards. The paper sliced her finger, and a small drop of blood dripped from her finger.

"Ouch," Bella muttered as she fumbled with the box. "Paper cut."

Why hadn't she seen it coming?

"No!" Edward roared, before he hurled himself in front of Bella. He shoved Millie, a loud sound that echoed throughout the entire house, backward, sending her flying into the piano. Edward pushed Bella away, and she flew back into the glass table before falling onto the ground amongst the shards.

Was Edward out of his mind?

The blatant smell of freesias hit her nose, and her mouth filled with venom.

Blood.

Since Edward had shoved Bella into a glass table, her injuries worsened, and blood began to run down her arm. Edward had turned a worrisome situation into a nightmare in a matter of seconds.

A loud roar erupted, and she turned to see Jasper launch himself into the air at Edward. He landed in front of him and hurled Edward into one of the walls.

Esme let out a scream of horror. Emmett lunged for Jasper, but he was no match, and Jasper sent him flying across the room. He didn't get back up either. Rosalie rushed to his side, her face twisted in horror and concern.

"Jasper!" Carlisle cried, trying to get the attention of the empath. The doctor moved over towards Bella, taking a slightly protective stance.

His words fell on deaf ears as Jasper strode over to Edward. Edward rose to his feet in a flash and slid into a crouch. Jasper's eyes were pitch black, his stance like that of a powerful lion.

She felt a sudden chill descend over her. No, not a chill, a fear, a fear so potent, that came with the realization that it wasn't Jazz in front of her, but the Major himself.

"Edward, don't!" Alice cried out in warning. "That's not Jasper! Everyone get back!"

Edward's eyes locked with her own, and she tried, she did try to show him with her mind that the man before him would kill him without even blinking an eye. But at that moment, she saw Edward's decision.

Millie sat up, stunned but unharmed, her eyes narrowed at Edward and Jasper. "Jasper?" There was a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

The Major inclined his head towards her, when Edward, seeing an opportunity, lunged forward. Stupid! Even with his speed, it wouldn't work, and right before her eyes, the Major turned and met Edward head-on, catching him by the throat and slamming his knee into her adopted brother's stomach. He then flipped Edward over onto the ground; his foot pressed on his neck.

"That was your last mistake, boy," he growled, and Edward suddenly seized, his face a picture of pure agony. Alice clamped her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.

Millie stood up, her eyes wide as she watched the scene before her. Alice knew she was afraid, and it was ironic because she was the only person in the room that the Major might have listened to. And he would never harm her.

"Stop it!" Bella screamed, moving forward, but her hands fell upon the broken glass shards, causing fresh new cuts from the smell of it.

"Bella, be still, and stay back!" Carlisle warned, grabbing her arms and guiding her back firmly, albeit gently.

"Major Jasper Whitlock." Alice approached him cautiously; her head bowed slightly in a sign of vampire submission. The Major pressed his foot further on Edward's neck and turned towards her, his black eyes boring into her own. She didn't need to be an empath at the moment to feel her fear. He was death itself, and no one in the room could stop him.

"Don't kill him," she begged, hoping he would remember the times they had spent together. "He's my brother...he's your brother."

His eyes narrowed dangerously at her, and she took a step back. "No, he ain't," he growled. "And if you know what's good for you, you wouldn't side with this ignorant whelp." He stomped Edward's neck for emphasis, the sickening crack echoing around the room.

There it was, in ugly and brutal words. It was like a knife through the heart. It was so heavy and painful that Alice physically stumbled back. Out of the decades they had spent together, she had seen the Major appear only once.

Millie turned and disappeared into the night. Not that it mattered. He would catch her. The pixie vampire didn't need to look into the future to see that.

The Major noticed, but he looked down at Edward and cocked his head before he acted. A sudden metallic sound rang through the air. Edward was on the ground with no arms, writhing and screaming.

"You touch my mate again, and I'll kill you," the Major said simply before he turned and took off in the direction that Millie had gone.

* * *

AN: So there it is! Chapter 4! So my most significant change was that I decided that this entire chapter would be from Alice's perspective. I thought it would nice (and this is the only time you will get her point of view) to see Alice's perspective and how she feels about the recent upheaval in her life. Up next: the Aftermath. And as always, I am grateful to everyone who left a review, favorited, and followed this story! Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!


	5. Chapter 5

Millie didn't know where she was going or when she was going to stop running. East seemed like a good direction, even if she didn't have a particular destination in mind. After she left the house, she kicked off her heels and leaped over the river that ran behind the house before disappearing into the forest.

She should have never gone to that birthday party. It was a mistake considering she hadn't been in the best of moods lately, so why even bother?

_Everything had been fine until that idiot overreacted_, an inner voice argued, and she groaned inwardly. That much was true. Bella had gotten a papercut, but Edward could have taken her out of the house until she stopped bleeding. But then that so-called boyfriend of hers overreacted and pushed the girl into a bunch of glass, and a tiny minuscule cut became a gash in the arm with blood pouring out of it.

Millie bit back a growl as she recalled his actions. Edward pushed her into a damn piano, and for what? Because he was an overprotective fool? It was fucking ridiculous!

Bella was never in any danger from her and Edward, that fool, if she saw him anytime soon, she was going to tear into him, that was if the idiot wasn't dead already.

A flash of fear ran through her as she stopped at the base of a tree. Jasper's "defense mechanism" had come into play. It hadn't been hard to put two and two together with how he reacted to Edward pushing her. He had scared her, and she had decided to get the hell out of dodge as she had no idea how he would respond to her in that state.

Millie launched herself at a branch and began to climb until she reached the top when she felt a foreboding presence behind her.

Before she could even think to run or turn around, a pair of large steel-like arms encircled her and pulled her back towards the thick center of the tree, though they were still at the top.

How in the hell had he caught up with her? She had a good head start!

The familiar fear settled in the pit of her stomach, but strangely, she couldn't help but feel somewhat secure in his arms. They were strong but comfortably warm too. And his scent nearly drove her wild. Woodsey, fresh, and with the barest hint of spice. She was tempted to curl back against him, but she knew better.

"Are you going to run again?" A deep southern voice asked. It was Jasper, and yet it wasn't him. His voice was cooler and more abrupt.

What was the point? "No, I won't run."

Suddenly, she was free, and she whirled around to come face to face with the man Alice had addressed as Major Jasper Whitlock. His entire demeanor was different. His eyes were a darker gold than usual, and they blazed with distinct willpower. Even there, high up in the treetop, his form screamed danger.

"You don't need to fear me," he said, his eyes regarding her with an intensity she had never encountered before. "You're my mate."

"You're the defense mechanism Jasper told me about," she said, making herself comfortable on the branch. "Major Jasper Whitlock."

"I am," he said shortly, sitting against the base of the tree, his arms folded against his chest, about two feet from her. "Though many refer to me as the Major."

"Alice knew who you were," Millie pointed out, recalling the chaotic scene and Alice's attempt to diffuse the situation.

"Alice is the only one in the coven that knows me," the Major said, giving her a slightly searching look.

A brief flare of jealousy appeared before she forced herself to push the feeling away. She hoped that the Major hadn't sensed that particular emotion. His face was hard, but his eyes revealed an intense curiosity. Maybe she was as strange to him as he was to her?

"So, why are you here?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Jasper could have beaten Edward. I know that much."

The corners of his mouth lifted somewhat. In another man, that might have been a smile. "He could have," he agreed. "It was a rare moment where Jasper and I both agreed that I should handle it."

Handle it? Her unease began to grow. He was a living legend, a horror story that represented the reality of the vampire south. Millie still couldn't believe that Edward thought he actually stood a chance against this man. Did the mind reader even know who Jasper actually was?

"Did you kill him?" She asked quietly. Edward disgusted her, but she didn't want him dead.

A growl erupted from his chest, causing her to jump slightly. "He's still alive," the Major growled. "The only reason I didn't kill his worthless ass is because of you."

Wait...what?! "Me?"

"I could sense your emotions," he explained. "It wasn't hard to figure that you wanted that ingrate alive."

The relief she felt was overwhelming, but it was quickly replaced by alarm. "That doesn't mean you didn't harm him."

His eyes blazed. "You don't miss much of anything," he commented. "But you're right. I did harm him."

Millie pursed her lips but nodded tightly. That wasn't good, but how many could say that the Major of the Southern armies had spared them? Edward was a lucky bastard.

"Nothing too gruesome, I hope."

"A few missing limbs," the Major retorted. "Next time, I'll take his life."

Another shudder went down her spine; she knew he meant every word he said.

He frowned. "You don't need to be afraid," he said, and there was the barest hint of softness to him. "You're my mate." He reached out and placed his large hand on top of hers, his long fingers brushing against the palm of her hand, thoroughly shocking her.

A comfortable silence descended between them for several moments until Millie decided to break it. "I shouldn't have gone to that party. None of that shit would have happened." Her eyes widened in quick realization. "Alice...had she seen all of that?"

"I doubt it," the Major answered. "That clumsy human triggered everything with that papercut. That doesn't involve making a decision."

That did make sense. Another question came to mind. "How did you withstand that?" She questioned. "You're an empath, so you must have felt everyone's bloodlust when Bella got that paper cut."

He gave her a look that indicated he was impressed. "I learned long ago how to close myself off from other people's emotions." He rose to his feet, pulling her up with him. "It's Jasper who struggles more with this aspect of our gift."

Millie nodded, filing that piece of information away for later. "What now?"

Suddenly, the Major stiffened, and he looked down a slight growl rumbling in his chest.

What was it? A human? Or a random nomad? She was about to jump down when his arm shot out, and he gave her a look that said, "stay."

Millie reached out with her gift. If it was a gifted vampire, then she could neutralize their gift. But no such luck as she didn't feel anything.

Her frown deepened when her nose picked up two familiar scents. An irritated sigh escaped her. Figures.

"Jasper!" Emmett's booming voice rang throughout the forest as he stormed into the area below them with Rosalie right next to him.

The Major let out a warning growl, his body coiling into an aggressive defense when Millie placed a hand on his arm. "Hey," she said soothingly. "It's just Emmett and Rosalie. I'm sure they mean no harm. Let's go down and see what's up."

Those hard and cold golden eyes focused on her before they softened slightly, and he nodded curtly. "Wait five seconds," he said before he leaped out of the tree, landing a good 50 feet below with ease. Millie was slightly baffled by his words, but she waited and then sprung from the tree.

Millie felt that instinctive ball of fear and adrenaline in her stomach as the ground rushed towards her. Her brain knew she would be fine, but she sometimes still felt those old, very human instincts.

Before she hit the ground, two arms caught her by her waist, and there he was, holding her in his powerful arms before he gently lowered her to the ground. She was surprised but somewhat touched by his actions.

Emmett and Rosalie stood several feet away from them. Emmett's face was one of pure confusion, while Rosalie's was a mixture of confusion and anger.

She hoped they weren't there to cause any more trouble. "Don't set him off," she warned. "He's not the usual Jasper right now." Inwardly, she could have laughed at her words. That was a vast understatement.

"What the hell was that back there?" Emmett demanded.

"That boy should have kept his hands to himself," the Major snarled. "He sure has some goddamn nerve, to even fucking touch _my mate_."

"Millie isn't any worse for the wear!" Rosalie snapped, causing the Mississippi-born vampire to glare at her. That didn't mean a damn thing. Edward shouldn't have done what he did!

"I don't give a damn if he didn't hurt Millie," the Major growled, agreeing with her own sentiments. "He shouldn't have touched her in the first place."

"Yeah, well, you and Edward caused quite a bit of ruckus back at the house," Emmett said, clearly exasperated. "Carlisle was stitching up Bella when we left, and Esme and Alice were reattaching Edward's arms."

Millie looked at her mate, who clearly didn't give a damn about Edward's state. It would have hurt like hell, having his arms ripped off, but Edward was very lucky that was the only thing that happened to him.

"I've killed many for less," the Major hissed, his dark golden eyes flashing. "There will be no mercy next time." Millie hoped Edward wouldn't try and fight him when they returned to the house. It would probably be better if they went back to the cottage until Jasper was back to normal.

"Many isn't your brother!" Rosalie growled, taking a slight step forward. Emmett pulled her back slightly, clearly heeding the danger before them.

"My brother isn't here," the Major dismissed her when his head snapped towards the left. Millie turned in the direction he looked when two more familiar scents approached the area.

"At least it's not Edward," she quipped as Esme and Alice came into view. Both women looked drained (emotionally, that is), but they were cautious as they approached them.

Alice stepped forward, her eyes focusing on her mate in a way Millie hated. "Major," she began, and then he turned his fierce gaze upon her.

"If you came here to start that nonsense again..." What nonsense? And what did he mean by again? Millie glared at Alice, who wisely didn't look at her. An overwhelming urge to rip the pixie's eyes out of her face came over her, and it took everything not to launch herself at that bitch. A few calming moments later, Millie decided on the next best thing. Alice was gonna learn she wasn't the one!

The pixie vampire let out a gasp. "My sight!" She yelled, turning her accusing stare to Millie. "Give it back to me!"

"Clearly, you don't need it," Millie said coolly. "Since obviously, you still want my mate, and I know those visions of yours must tell you it's futile, but you continue to ignore them."

The Major looked down at her, and was that a flicker of amusement in his eyes? Again, the corners of his mouth lifted before he turned back to Alice with a violent glare that caused his ex-wife to reel back.

"Please," Esme interrupted. "I don't want there to be a fight. There has been enough of that tonight."

"Alright," Millie said, not wanting to upset the kind-hearted woman. "She'll get her power back in the morning and not before." Alice scowled at her, and Millie met her glare with a ferocious one of her own.

Alice let out an angry sighed before addressing the entire group. "I came here with Esme to talk about Edward."

"What now?" Rosalie demanded.

"Yeah, I thought y'all helped him reattach his arms?" Emmett asked.

"No, not that." Alice shook her head. "He's been indecisive. Earlier in my visions, I saw," she glared at Millie. "He was conflicted about whether or not to leave Forks."

Protests of outrage erupted from Emmett and Rosalie at her words. Millie exchanged a look with the Major. What the hell did that have to do with them?

"Why would I care about that idiot leaving Forks?" Her mate asked, arching a golden eyebrow. "Unless you think I have to follow his whims?" There was a warning note in his voice, and Millie was sure that Alice heard it too.

"No, no! It's just...it affects the family." There was a note of frustration in Alice's voice.

"He's leaving Bella?" Esme exclaimed, shocked, and devastation etched across her lovely face. Millie wasn't sad though she was surprised. Wasn't this girl supposed to be Edward's mate?

"If he leaves Forks, then yes," Alice whispered, looking down at the ground. Rosalie let out a hiss in anger. Emmett growled and stepped forward, though a sharp glance from the Major made him keep his distance.

"I knew Edward was prone to overreaction, but this?" The brawny vampire scoffed, and Rosalie hummed in agreement.

"We shouldn't have to leave because of his fuck up with Bella!" The blonde vampire hissed. "The human girl is fine!"

"Why doesn't the idiot just change her?" Millie asked with a roll of her eyes. "He's the cause of everything that happened tonight. If he's so worried, then change the girl!"

Everyone gaped at her except the Major, who nodded in agreement with her. "Millie's right," he said. "And it's against the law to let that human walk around knowing who we are without changing her."

"If it comes to that, she should die," Rosalie argued. "No one is meant for this life." Sounds like someone has some self-loathing issues.

"Rose!" Emmett snapped, glaring at his wife. "We're not going to kill Bella."

"I agree," Esme said firmly, shooting Rosalie a frown. "We'll just have to wait and see what Edward does."

"If Edward does go, we'll be going with him in three days," Alice explained. "At least that's what I saw before her." Her eyes narrowed at Millie.

"I don't know who "us" is," Millie snapped. "But I'm not going anywhere. I only came here because of Jasper. If y'all decide to leave because of Edward, then I will go my own separate way."

The Major let out a growl at her words, and she glared at him. "Of course, I'm not talking about you. We can stay here while we sort our issues out. Edward's decisions don't have anything to do with us." And it looked like she wasn't alone in that sentiment, for Rosalie and Emmett both looked like they agreed.

"I will try and talk to him," Esme spoke up. "If Bella is his mate, then it's all the more reason why Edward can't leave. He'll only bring pain to both himself and Bella."

"Well, I can't see if any of that will work right now," Alice bit out, a deep scowl on her face.

"You don't need to," Millie snapped. "You can deal just like everyone else does without visions. Keep on, you hear?"

Alice bolted towards her, a snarl on her lips, and her eyes were glimmering with rage. Before Millie could even react, the Major had caught Alice by the throat and slammed her into the ground, the earth cracking beneath the force he applied. He grabbed her arm with his other hand when Esme let out a scream, and Millie intervened. "No!" she shouted when he looked up at her, clearly irritated that she had interrupted his violent retribution.

The Major pulled up, and suddenly Alice went completely limp. "There," he grunted. "She won't be a problem anymore." Millie stared at him for several seconds in confusion, wondering what he did, when it clicked.

He was an empath, and he used an emotion (or several) to send Alice into a state of unconsciousness. It was very impressive, and she made a note to ask him one day what emotion(s) he used to knock someone out.

She looked down at the psychic vampire and shook her head. It was going to be a long night.

...

The Major stalked into the Cullen's home, scanning his surroundings, making sure everything was safe as his mate trailed behind him. He didn't sense that trifling boy or the human girl, but Carlisle was there, cleaning his medical equipment.

"Edward took Bella home." Carlisle looked up as they entered the main living room. "It should be a while before he comes back."

"Is Bella going to be alright?" Esme asked as she rushed to her mate's side.

Carlisle took her into a side embrace. "She will be fine. I stitched her up and gave her some very strong Tylenol if the pain flares up or becomes too unbearable."

The Major looked at his mate, checking her over one last time before he retreated, giving the reigns back to Jasper.

Jasper shook his head as felt control come to him once more. He (well, the Major) had caused quite a bit of mess, but he didn't feel bad about it. Edward should have kept his fucking hands to himself.

"Jasper?" Millie questioned, drawing him from his thoughts.

"I'm here," he said simply, taking in the hectic emotions flowing through the room. He sent out a short wave of calm, pushing them back and away from him.

"What the hell, man?" Emmett said as he laid Alice down on one of the incliners, apparently still knocked out from that cocktail the Major had given her. Now that, Jasper felt somewhat bad about, but then again, she attacked his mate. The Major would have done worse if not for Millie's intervention.

"Emmett, you already know what happened!" Rosalie said, glaring at her husband.

"No, no, I don't," he retorted before looking at Jasper. "That fight, that wasn't like you at all."

"Well, it wasn't me," he said, crossing his arms against his chest. "Or you could say it was me, but more of an alter ego."

The silence that was in the room was deafening. "Alter ego?" Carlisle said carefully.

He hated explaining this. During the Southern Wars, when the Major appeared (which had been more often and for longer periods of time), vampires had seemed to get the message not to question him or his personality change. "Yes, the Major," he answered. "He appeared during the Southern Wars, and he takes control when it is necessary." Okay, well, maybe not always necessary. Tonight had been more of a want or desire. Jasper could have beaten Edward without the Major, but he wanted had to put the fear of God into that idiot.

"So this whole time you've had a split personality?" Emmett's eyes were wide, and he could feel the awe and excitement from him. He did always like to play with danger. It was the sole reason he was a vampire right now.

"And Edward triggered you?" Rosalie asked, raising a golden brow.

"Yes, and yes," he answered, his tone slightly darkening at the mention of Edward. His rage at his adopted brother was a simmer right now, but it was still there.

"Will he be making another appearance soon?" Carlisle asked, and he could hear the wariness in his voice.

"As long as nothing happens to my mate, then no," he said, looking over at Millie, who looked away from him at his words. He felt a surge of frustration but quickly pushed it back down.

He had his work cut out for him with Millie.

"I think Edward will be with Bella for quite some time," Esme addressed the room. "Let's clean this house up," she gave him a pointed look. "Now."

He could hear the reproach in her tone, but he didn't care. It was Edward's fault. But he didn't mind cleaning up. And it took less than five minutes with everyone pitching in.

Afterward, he sat down on the loveseat next to Millie. "We should go home," she said, resting her head against his arm. The action surprised him, but it warmed his dead heart. "I'm still angry with you," she murmured, but she didn't move her head. He could feel her exhaustion, emotionally and physically.

Vampires were near indestructible, but there were two weaknesses they carried over from their human lives: the need for food and the need for sleep. A vampire didn't need to eat as often as a human, and the same applied to rest. There might be slight differences between vampires (depending on who was stronger and who was weaker), but the average vampire only needed to sleep once a week, and even then only for a few hours.

"Alright," he said softly when he heard the sound of a car speeding down the road up to the house. He stiffened as he realized that it was none other than Edward.

Millie noticed his reaction and sat up with a frustrated sigh. "Well, might as well hear what is about to happen," she grumbled as she folded her arms across her chest.

Edward stormed into the house, his emotions a mixture of grief, anger, willfulness, and despair. His face was twisted in agony, though as his eyes darted around the living room, his anger dominated everything else.

"Are you alright?" Esme asked, concerned.

"It's not me you should be concerned with," he snapped, turning his gaze towards Jasper and Millie though he could feel the underlying current of fear beneath his anger. Jasper met his gaze stoically, not at all sorry for what happened between the two of them. And to be honest, Jasper thought there was a bit of softness to the Major because, in the old days, Edward would have been dead no questions asked.

Edward flinched at his thoughts before quickly looking away. Good boy.

"How is Bella, son?" Carlisle asked.

"She's alright," Edward answered. "She took some Tylenol for her arm and fell asleep."

"And you left?" Rosalie snorted. "Even that's unusual for you."

"She's not safe in our world," Edward said sullenly. "What happened could only have been expected."

His mate's eyes narrowed. "Boy, please. This situation wouldn't have happened if you hadn't overreacted and pushed her into a table full of glass."

Edward growled at her, which quickly stopped when he caught Jasper's warning look. He pinched the bridge of his nose but looked away.

"Are you really thinking of leaving Forks?" Emmett demanded.

"It would be the best thing for Bella," Edward explained, somewhat surprised that his plans had been discovered. "She doesn't belong in our world; a clean break will be good for her."

Jasper frankly didn't give a damn either way whether or not Bella was apart of the family. The clumsy girl should have died in that parking lot, and Edward was a moron for intervening in the first damn place. And now he wanted to leave? That would leave Bella as a loose end, and he hated loose ends.

The empath looked over at Alice and decided that she might as well join the conversation. He sent her a wave of adrenaline mixed with alertness, and she sat up with a gasp, briefly drawing everyone's attention before the focus returned to Edward once more.

"Edward, are you sure about this?" Carlisle asked, his face filled with sadness.

"The hell he is!" Rosalie cried. "I'm not going anywhere! I like it here!"

"We have other houses around the country," Edward reminded her. "A change of scenery won't kill you."

"No, but Bella is a part of this family." Alice frowned. "She's like a sister to me."

"Yeah," Emmett agreed. "We don't need to leave. Everything turned out alright in the end."

"No, I've been reckless for prolonging and denying the inevitable. I won't take Bella's soul, and I won't endanger her any further by bringing her into our world."

"Any further?" Jasper repeated, drawing everyone's attention. He could feel the underlying current of fear in the room because of him, but he didn't care outside of Millie. "You saved that girl from being killed and let her know our secret. You don't want to change her." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "That's against the fucking law."

Rosalie hissed in apparent agreement. "You should have never brought her into our world, but you don't get to turn around and endanger not only Bella but the entire family because you fucked up."

"And I hope you haven't forgotten Victoria," Jasper added. "She wants revenge, and I'm certain that she will be paying a visit sooner rather than later."

"I intend to track and kill Victoria when we leave Forks," Edward said, with a roll of his eyes. "I haven't ever forgotten the danger she represents."

Jasper stared at his adopted brother in disbelief. This bullshit again? "You've never tracked a vampire!"

"It won't be too hard," Edward retorted. "I can read minds and know if anyone's seen her. It'll be easy to pick it up from there."

"Oh, really?" His mate interrupted. "I didn't know you could read every thought a person has ever had."

"I never claimed that."

"Then, you would have to come across people who are thinking of Victoria right then and there, right?" Millie said, crossing her arms.

"Well, yes, but she's a vampire, and humans tend to know something is off even if they don't know what we are." Edward was defensive.

_Our mate is good at putting this moron in his place, _the Major said, and Jasper agreed with him. It was clear that Edward didn't have a clue in hell as to how to track Victoria.

"Edward, honey, please think about this," Esme pleaded. "It sounds dangerous. Why not wait a couple of days at least when you'll be in a better state of mind?"

"I've always known this, Esme," Edward said flatly. "There is no other choice for me."

"I'm not going anywhere," Jasper stated defiantly. "You can leave if you like, but I'm not following you around the country." He looked at his mate, who nodded in agreement.

"I'm staying with you," she said simply.

"Me and Rose are staying as well," Emmett said with a growl as he glared at Edward. Alice pepped up a bit and nodded in agreement.

Carlisle and Esme both looked uncomfortable and troubled. It was clear they were indecisive.

"Carlisle, how suspicious would it look for two parents, _well-respected parents,_ to go off and leave their adopted children by themselves?' Rosalie demanded.

Jasper bit back a smile at his adopted sister's words. And they worked because he could feel Carlisle and Esme waver in their emotions.

Carlisle was silent for several moments before he looked at Esme, who nodded sadly. "Rosalie's right, Edward," he said gently. "We can't leave at the moment, especially not when others are remaining behind to stay."

"Edward, you should stay with us," Esme pleaded, clasping her hands together as she implored him to remain with the coven.

"No, Esme," Edward refused. "I will not endanger Bella any longer, and I will not take her soul," he hissed out, his eyes blazing in anger. "I will leave her, and it will be as if I never existed for her. If you can't stay away for my sake, then I can at least ask you all to keep your distance from her and let her be as a human."

"Sure thing, son," Carlisle assured, and there were cries of outrage and protest coming mainly from Emmett and Alice. "It's the least we can do for Edward," he said, with a warning note in his voice.

Jasper didn't care either way. He wasn't close to Bella, like Alice and Emmett. And he was always aware of the possibility that he might have to kill her one day for the coven.

"When will you leave?" Esme asked, clearly devastated that Edward was separating from the family.

"Right now," Edward said stoically. "I'll be in touch." With that, he turned on his heel and left the house. Good riddance, asshole.

* * *

AN: So that's chapter 5! A couple of notes: So yes, I reintroduced sleep for vampires, though unlike the previous version of this story, they can go longer periods without it. And to answer a question someone had, no, Peter will not be Bella's mate. He's with Charlotte in this story. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and thank you, everyone, who left a review, favorited, or followed this story!


	6. Chapter 6

Millie set her magazine down with a sigh of frustration. It was lunchtime, and she was sitting with Jasper outside, bored out of her mind, and attempting to read _Essence_, but she was too distracted.

Jasper looked at her. "What's wrong?"

Everything. "I shouldn't have bothered with school today," the vampire murmured. "We could have skipped."

"We could have," her mate agreed. "But then again, gossip spreads quickly in this hell hole, and people have noticed that Bella and Edward ain't here."

"Well, Edward is away at 'boarding school,' and I'm sure Bella is at home nursing a broken heart."

"Edward warned her. She shouldn't have gotten involved in our world in the first fucking place." He glanced disdainfully at a student that passed by them. "Humans are food, nothing more."

Millie arched an eyebrow at him. "This coming from the man who didn't like feeling his prey's emotions when they died."

He gave her a dark look. "I don't, doesn't mean they aren't food, Millie."

He did have a point there. "True," she acknowledged before she tilted her head at him. "But you were once human before, so you know they are more than that."

Another human walked by, and Jasper's jaw clenched, his eyes darkened somewhat, but he didn't move. Millie touched his hand in comfort, ignoring the jolt of electricity she felt at the contact.

He looked at her, and this time the desire in his eyes wasn't one of hunger, but all burning lust. Her stomach flipped, and she looked away. "Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Look at me like that," she huffed. "It's hard enough to ignore my instincts without you making it worse." Under normal circumstances, she would have given in to instinct by now, but Jasper's actions threw their relationship outside of 'normal circumstances.'

"And what do your instincts say?" He asked softly.

"You already know the answer to that question." She looked down at their hands before looking back up at him. "I'm sure you can feel it in my emotions."

"I can," he said, enclosing her hand in his own. "You feel many things, but it's there, like an undercurrent."

Damn it. "I wonder how many vampires hold back from their mates? Or do they just claim each other and then sort everything else out afterward?"

"The latter."

She bit her lip, troubled. "It wouldn't be so hard if you didn't look so damn good." She immediately felt a sense of horror. Had she said that out loud?

His eyebrows shot up, and his lips curled into a smirk. "Why thank you, darlin," he drawled out. "You look very good, yourself."

Millie rolled her eyes. Men were so arrogant! "I think I'm going to Port Angeles later after school." She pulled away and stood up. "And later, this evening, I think I have more questions for you."

Jasper nodded. "Alright then, I'll go hunting while you're out. Last night was draining." He stood up just as the bell went off, signaling the end of lunch.

"I'll see you soon," Millie said, and when he nodded, she gathered her things and went to her next class. Three more classes, and then she was out of there.

After school, she headed towards Port Angeles, eager to get some shopping done. She would have preferred a city like Seattle or Olympia, but it was a school day, and so Port Angeles would have to do at the moment.

It took her a little under 45 minutes to reach the small port town northeast of Forks. It was busier and bigger than Forks, but nothing compared to the metropolitan cities she had seen over the years. She pulled into a parking space, right outside a store called Moss, and got out. Since the weather was rainier in Washington, she needed more appropriate clothing.

The selection was decent enough, and she managed to get a few jackets and a pair of earrings she couldn't resist. Afterward, her next stop was a jewelry store, and it was perfect for Millie loved earrings more than anything else, especially ones that stood out. And while her ears couldn't be pierced, she had no problems looking for clip-on earrings or installing the clip-ons to the earrings herself. She picked out a pair of cherry shaped earrings and a pair of blue and dark green-blue heart-shaped statement earrings.

It was dark when Millie returned to her car, and as she put her bags in the passenger door, she caught a flash of orange out of the corner of her eye. Her senses on high alert, she whirled around but didn't see anything, but her gut told her that she wasn't alone. The vampire reached out with her gift, and though it was some distance away, she felt a wisp of power. Instantly, she negated it.

It was Victoria. It had to be her. But what was she doing here? And from what Millie had felt, it didn't even seem as if the redhead had tried to run.

"Victoria?" She whispered, closing the car door and slowly walking around to the driver's side. There was another flash out of the corner of her eye, and she whirled around to face it. It became obvious that Victoria didn't care if she was at a disadvantage because Millie had neutralized her gift. The redhead was confident that she could take Millie on and win.

She turned on her heel and walked down the street towards a place called the Cottage Chestnut Restaurant. It was easy enough to play the part of a hungry customer, and she was given a table and a menu. Victoria couldn't attack her here, not without exposing both of them, and the redhead's instincts for survival were too strong for that.

What to do? Millie had left her phone in the car, but she didn't want to chance going back out there now.

Willing herself to calm down, Millie stared at the menu blankly, her nose wrinkling slightly at the options on the menu. It was a homey restaurant with the typical comfort foods, but they wouldn't sate her appetite at all. They might as well be serving dirt with the way human food tasted to her.

"May I take your order?" The waiter asked.

"Greek salad, and a glass of water, thank you." And one redheaded vampire served up in burning pieces. Victoria held a grudge (to be expected), but Millie was surprised that the woman had decided to come for her first. Or maybe it was pure chance that their paths had crossed?

"Um, excuse me, but do y'all happen to have a phone I could use?" She asked when the waiter appeared again.

He gave her an apologetic look. "I do apologize, ma'am, but we don't. However, the store down the street has a payphone." So back to square one.

Her food was brought before her, and she picked at it idly, taking her time, wondering how in the hell was she going to get out of her current situation when a familiar scent caught her nose. Her head shot up to see Jasper enter the restaurant, his face stoic though his eyes blazed with fury.

She stood up as he arrived at her table. "Let's go," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Millie left her money for the waiter and quickly followed Jasper out into the chilly night. It didn't seem like he was in Major mode, but she could tell he wasn't one to cross either way.

"What are you doing up here?" Millie asked as they headed towards her car. She was more than happy to see him, but what had made him come to Port Angeles?

"You were in trouble," he said shortly as she tossed him the keys. "Of course, I would come."

"How did you know that?" She darted around to the passenger side and got in as he slid into the driver's seat. "Did Alice tell you? I thought she would be happy if I died."

Jasper floored it, and the car roared to life and sped onto the road. "If Alice fucking knew and said nothing, then she would be a dead woman."

"...Then how?"

"I'll explain later." He glanced at her. "Until Victoria is dealt with, you're with me."

She rolled her eyes and looked out the window before turning back to him. "That isn't necessary. I can handle..."

The Texan-born vampire glared at her, distracting her from her line of thought. "This is not a fucking debate." He growled.

What the hell did he just say? "Excuse me?" She snapped, outraged.

"When it comes to your safety, there is no discussion." His eyes darkened, and his hands gripped the steering wheel. He better not break her fucking car!

"You're overreacting!" She hissed. "And I've taken care of myself for over a century without you; you can give me some fucking credit!"

"You admitted that you weren't the greatest at fighting," Jasper snarled, his eyes flashing. "And look where I just found you!"

Suddenly a deer leaped on the road, and Millie let out a scream. Jasper jerked the wheel and swerved around the animal while still maintaining control of the car.

If she were human, her heart would have come out of her chest by now. "The deer surprised me," she said, hating how lame her excuse was.

Jasper snorted. "Why even bother lying to an empath?" He asked.

"Alright, so it's been a trying night," Millie huffed, glaring at him defiantly.

"And one that won't be happening again suga, because you won't be shopping alone anymore until I kill Victoria."

She gritted her teeth. "You don't even know if she's after me." Well, that was another lie, and they both knew it. But Millie did not want to be fussed over!

"You and I both know how vampires react to their mate's death, and if you really believed she wasn't after you, why go in that restaurant?"

The rest of the ride back to Forks was nothing but silence, which Millie had no intention of breaking. As Jasper pulled up to the house, they were greeted by a concerned looking Carlisle and Esme.

"What is it?" Jasper asked as he tossed the keys back to her.

"Bella's missing," Carlisle said grimly. "Charlie came by, and he's forming a search party to go looking for her."

Millie and Jasper exchanged glances before turning back to him. "Well, wasn't Edward the last to see her?"

"We believe so," Esme said. "Knowing Edward, he wouldn't have left without saying something to Bella."

"Are you sure he didn't kill her and then leave?" Millie asked. It's not like it was unheard of either.

"What? No!" Carlisle shook his head furiously while Esme gaped at her in horror. "Edward would never do something like that."

Millie shrugged. "He wouldn't be the first boyfriend to kill a woman after a break up gone bad." And with how immature Edward was, she wouldn't be surprised.

"For once, I give Edward the benefit of the doubt," Jasper said, crossing his arms against his chest. "That dipshit was always going on about Bella's humanity. He wanted her to remain human and alive."

"Yes." Carlisle nodded. "However, this is gaining attention, and it could attract the local news. That isn't a good thing, and it could expose us."

"Where's Alice?" Jasper demanded. "She should have seen something."

"Everything is a blank as far as Bella is concerned," Esme said. "Wherever she is, she isn't making any decisions." It sounded like Bella was dead, but Millie would keep that thought to herself for now.

"That's just fucking great," Her mate snapped. "Have you talked to that dumbass yet?"

"I haven't," Carlisle admitted. "I was hoping that it wouldn't come to that. And knowing how troubled he is, he might not even take the call."

"It can't hurt to try, dear," Esme said gently. "We don't want this getting worse."

"Alright," the Cullen patriarch said. "I'll go and make that phone call."

"Victoria is still around here," Jasper said flatly, causing Carlisle to stop in his tracks. "I intend to kill her, but don't say I haven't warned you."

"Victoria? Where?" Esme breather, her face twisting into horror.

"I was in Port Angeles, and I saw a flash of red hair." Millie grimaced. "It was her, and she ain't happy." And neither was she. She could do without being stalked by a vampire with fatal intentions.

"Well, come in the house, and let the others know," Carlisle said. "I'll try and reach Edward."

...

Jasper paced the living room, his mind bringing up countless options and dismissing them. He didn't like the situation they were in. It could have been avoided if Edward hadn't exposed him. Then when the empath had wanted to correct it, he had been outvoted. He scowled. Well, he would fix the fucking situation now.

"Come here," Millie said, from where she was seated on the couch in their living room. "We have things to talk about."

He hadn't forgotten. "What did you want to ask?"

"Well, first of all, you never told me how you knew to come and get me."

"I didn't know," Jasper said, his eyes narrowing the thought of what had happened. "Peter told me." His captain had proved himself once again. If he hadn't gotten that call, who knows what would have happened to his mate. One thing was for sure: He would have raised hell.

Her curiosity and confusion warred with one another. "Peter?" She repeated, frowning slightly.

Jasper sat down next to her. "Remember what I told you about Peter and Charlotte?"

"Yes, your family," Millie said softly.

He nodded. "As I said, Peter's gift lets him know when shit happens. And tonight it let him know something was up."

Her eyes widened. "And he knew what was happening with me?"

"He knew that I should go to Port Angeles and find you, but he didn't know the specifics." Peter's gift was frustrating, but it always gave enough insight to help.

"Well, you should tell him I said thank you."

He gave her a small smile. "You'll meet him and Charlotte one day. And soon." He would need to talk to Peter and Charlotte as well. He wondered if that asshole's gift had warned him about Jasper's intentions?

"Soon?"

"I tend to resume my former position as head of the coven." It was well past time for him to do so, and it was his right.

He could feel her surprise. "When?"

"Summer. After graduation." While he was grateful to the Cullen's for showing him a different way of life, there were aspects of Carlisle's leadership that Jasper despised and considered a weakness.

"Back to Texas?"

"Yes, though I haven't decided exactly where." He would know before summer came. Maybe Houston or Port Arthur? Either way, he was ready to go back to his home state.

Millie was quiet for several moments. She looked up at him. "Is Maria down there?"

Now that caught him by surprise. "No," he said, harsher than he meant to. Maria was a sore subject that grated on his nerves even after all these years. "She's in Mexico." Did she think he still cared about her? He didn't give a damn about Maria as long as she stayed away from him and his coven. If it ever came to a fight, Maria would lose.

"The Southern Wars..."

"Yeah, well, that's still happening though on a more restrained level," he explained. "But I didn't earn my reputation for nothing, and no one would dare challenge me." Well, maybe some would, but they would die trying.

She slowly nodded, though he could feel a bit of her unease and doubt. "Why the uncertainty?" He asked gently.

"You sound pretty certain of the future."

He shook his head. After a lifetime with Alice? He knew things could change at a moment's notice. "I'm not. I do have expectations, though, and I expect to have eased some of your concerns by then."

"Do you want to go back to Texas because of me?" She waved her hand. "I thought this was a family."

He grimaced. "They are," he said. "And I'm thankful for the help they gave me, but it's time for a change." And about fucking time too. He had more than half a century with the Cullens.

"Well, anything to get out of this rainy hell of a town." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What did you do when you joined the Cullens?"

"I worked on my control." He had hated those days. He had hated the diet, and he had hated his lack of control when he was infamous for being in control in the South. It had taken him too long to adjust to the lifestyle, and even then, he had been watched like a time bomb by both Alice and Edward. As if either of them could have stopped him if he had a mind to cheat the diet.

"Didn't you think about your former life?"

He frowned. "Sometimes, I can't ever forget it." Though the empath wished he could. It had been hell. And he had been nothing more than a monster.

She shook her head, her soft curls bouncing slightly. "No, I'm not talking about your time with Maria. I mean your human life."

At that time? "The world had changed when I left Maria," he began. "And I had changed by then too. But in some ways, things had remained the same, especially in the South."

"I can't say I was surprised to see one violent system exchanged for another. Disappointed but not surprised." He had remained in the South with Peter and Charlotte, mostly in Texas, but sometimes they would visit other states and occasionally live there. And while they always lived in remote areas, it couldn't hide the fact that he was aware that Jim Crow had been set up as the law of the land. And by that time, it had sickened him. After all, his violent and racist generation had preceded them and passed their bullshit on and with pride.

He observed her as she considered his words. "Go on, ask your question." He didn't have to feel her emotions to know that she wasn't done asking questions.

She met his gaze. "Did it compel you to do anything?" So, this was her way of asking if he cared about racism.

"My prey in the South became more _specific_." After the hell he had gone through, and with his new life as a vampire, it hadn't been difficult for Jasper to realize his old way of thinking had been dead wrong. "Though admittedly, drinking their blood also benefits me."

"It does."

"But, that didn't mean I couldn't help out and kill outside of feeding. And with men and women like that, their emotions didn't bother me." White supremacists had begged, cried, hollered, and screamed, but it wasn't going to change their fate. And Jasper was one man, but that didn't mean he couldn't do his part. And of course, when he was with Peter and Charlotte, they had helped as well.

"Hmmm." Her golden eyes bore into his own. "Tell me all that you did."

About a few hours later, his phone vibrated, and he looked to see that it was a text from Emmett: _Bella's been found and is at home._

"What is it?" Millie asked.

"They found Bella." And pretty quickly too. It meant that Bella had to have been close by.

Surprise flashed across his mate's face. "Well, that's good, at least." She gave him a curious glance, sensing his mood. "Or is it?"

"It's not good." He shot to his feet. "She's a loose end, and it's been like that ever since she came into our lives." He hated the situation and its dangerous implications. And now Victoria was somewhere thirsting for Bella's blood to satisfy her vengeance.

"I hate to interrupt your brooding," Millie said, and he could tell she didn't mean it. "But you know, with your reputation and everything, you should teach me how to fight."

All thoughts of Bella and Victoria fled as he stared at his mate in shock. "What?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Come on, Jasper. If I can fend for myself better with some proper and deadly training, then I can deal with Victoria if need be. In fact, I wouldn't have had to worry about tonight."

_Our mate is right, _the Major rumbled._ We'll have to teach her. We did the same for other members of our coven, so why not our mate?_

Because he was a harsh and demanding teacher, and the Major was even worse. And because he was still working on fixing his relationship with Millie!

_You could always let me take over then, _the Major suggested slyly._ But either way, our mate needs to be trained._

Millie scowled at him. "What's the problem?" Her eyes narrowed. "You shouldn't want your mate to be a defenseless woman who can't handle herself."

The manipulative little... "Fine," he growled. He had been beaten on two fronts. "Not right at this moment, but I will train you."

Her face brightened, and she gave him a small smile before her face turned thoughtful. He had a feeling it had to do with Bella.

"What are you thinking about now?"

"Well, before you decide to tie things up," his mate began. "shouldn't you at least see what she's going to do?"

"I can feel your sympathy for her," he pointed out, irritated. "It ain't gonna change what I'm gonna do." It should have been done a long time ago when Edward stopped that van.

"Will it lead to a fight with the coven?"

Jasper almost laughed. "A fight implies a chance of winning."

"Jasper!"

It might have been cold-blooded, but it was true. "And it shouldn't come down to a fight anyways." But if it did, then he would deal with it.

"Maybe not, but then again, what if you intend to do nothing?"

He snorted. His mate would learn that he was not the man who would do nothing about a situation that could prove dangerous for them.

Later, in the middle of the night, he decided that it was time, and the opportunity was perfect. It was a last-minute decision, so Alice wouldn't be able to see it and try and stop him.

His mate had given him a disapproving look, but he ignored it, determined to do what was necessary.

It didn't take him long to reach Bella's house. Her father's police cruiser was there, but it didn't matter. If need be, Charlie could be another casualty. He went around back, leaping up into the tree and landing on one of the branches with quiet ease. Darkness greeted him, but it didn't affect his vision. He saw a motionless figure lying on the floor and frowned. He could hear a heartbeat, but he couldn't detect or hear anything that signaled chaos.

Jasper sat back, annoyed and confused. It was evident that the body on the ground was Bella, but what happened? He focused on his gift, and in particular, Bella's emotions and what he felt nearly sent him flying out the tree. Despair, agony, loss, and hopelessness crashed into him and shook his frame. He reeled back with a hiss.

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Bella would be upset that Edward had left...but this? He had felt human heartbreak before, and nothing compared to what he was feeling from Bella.

Jasper looked back at her, still on the floor, and within that instant, had decided she would live. In her state, he couldn't imagine her doing much of anything, and if she did, he guessed she was more likely to slit her wrists or take a bunch of pills. And if that happened...well, let the girl embrace death then.

He caught a familiar scent, and he turned his head to see his ex-wife dashing towards him. He wasn't surprised. The moment his decision had faltered, she would have seen what was going on.

"Snooping?" He asked quietly as Alice stopped at the bottom of the tree and looked up at him.

She appeared next to him, though he could feel her caution warring with her anger. "Making sure my best friend lives."

He snorted. "Living? Did you see the state that girl is in?" And all because of that dipshit Edward?

Alice's face blanched. "No," she said through gritted teeth. "I didn't see it."

"Another favor to that dumbass?" As the silence continued, he eventually shook his head. "You might as well break your word, Alice. Victoria is around, and I don't need to tell you what that means."

"No," she retorted somewhat defensively before her face softened a bit. "I am glad that you changed your mind, Jazz."

He could feel the longing in her emotions and decided to leave. He nodded curtly and dropped to the ground below and took off into the night. It seems Millie was right (in a way) after all. He would leave Bella alone for now. And if he ever needed to, he could always rectify the situation.

* * *

AN: I do apologize! This chapter caused a bit of writer's block, but I finally finished it, and I hope y'all enjoyed it! The next update will be much quicker. And thank you to everyone who left a review, followed, or favorited this story!


	7. Chapter 7

Millie stared at the clouded sky, her thoughts racing a mile a minute even though she remained as still as a statue, staring at her opponent across the field.

A very dangerous opponent that was now watching her like the apex predator he was.

Even a god could be beaten? Right?

Well, she did ask him to train her, so she couldn't complain about it really. But it was just so damn frustrating! A month of training and yet Jasper won every time and without much effort on his part. It was a fact that enraged her even more. He was just that damn good, and they both knew it. Millie wasn't trying to hurt him, but it shouldn't have been this hard!

She took a deep if unnecessary breath, as she considered her options. A head-on attack would have her on her ass in less than a second. A sneak attack would be better, but how should she approach him? Especially when they were both out in the open? An idea came to mind, and she smiled to herself before she sank into an offensive crouch.

Millie darted forward to a waiting Jasper, but at the last minute, she angled right and kicked up the ground sending dirt flying at the Texan vampire. She leaped up over him and opened her arms ready for her victory when she found herself flipped over and titan like arms around her, immobilized and his teeth inches from her neck.

She was stunned and furious. "What the fuck?" She yelled. That dirt should have blinded him or at least distracted him!

"I have other senses, suga," he whispered in her ear before he let her go, and she whirled around to face him.

"I didn't expect that I would suck so much at this," she complained.

"You don't, and you may not believe it, but you are improving." He gave her a wicked smirk. "It's just useless against me."

Millie growled at him and lunged, trying to tackle him, but Jasper had her on her back in a new record, his triumphant eyes boring into her own.

"Are you ready to give up, suga?"

"I know when I'm beaten," Millie said before he got up and pulled her to her feet. "But do you seriously think I'm improving?"

"If you weren't, I would tell you," he pointed out, and well, that was certainly true for him.

"Maybe next time Victoria tries something, I'll be able to deal with her?" She looked up at him through her eyelashes.

His eyes darkened somewhat. "I'll handle Victoria." Overprotective fool!

"I don't doubt that," she barely refrained from rolling her eyes. "But who knows what might happen? And I still have the advantage of my gift."

"Sometimes those very gifts become useless, and that advantage is gone," he said darkly.

"Did someone ever counter your gift?" She asked.

They didn't often talk about his time during the Southern Wars, but Jasper had to have come across gifted vampires. And he was still alive—another reminder of just how dangerous he was. _And_ _he's yours, _a voice whispered. _Instead of a man, you have a god. _

"Their gift was similar to yours, but it worked differently," he answered, distracting her from her thoughts. "Their gift dealt with more of the physical, and my gift became useless during a fight."

Millie didn't know what to say, but luckily, he continued. "It was such a fucking throw off that the Major came out."

Defense mechanism indeed. "Is that person dead?"

There was a slight pause before he answered. "After interrogating them, I burned them."

Somehow, Millie had the feeling that an "interrogation" wasn't just asking questions.

"Was that you or the Major then?"

"The Major," he said simply.

"Well, at least I can't say that I don't have the best teaching me," she said somewhat lightly. Mediocrity was never her thing.

Jasper gave her a faint smile, and they continued walking in silence until they entered the forest. Millie decided now was as good as time as ever to do some light exploring. She jumped and swung herself up onto a tree branch, giving Jasper a challenging look. "Come on up."

In an instant, he was next to her, a look of amusement on his face. "Alright, what is it?"

She gave him an innocent smile. "Nothing much." And with that, she lunged towards him, encircling her arms around his waist and letting out a yell of triumph because she had clearly caught him off guard.

At least, until his arms enclosed around her and he rolled off the tree with her, causing her to scream though at the last minute, they landed upright with her pressed between the tree and Jasper.

"Okay," she sighed. "You win." For now, at least.

He pressed his forehead against hers. "And what do I win?"

"What do you want?" Millie asked softly. She didn't have to be an empath to feel the new sort of tension between them.

Silence descended between them before he closed the gap and kissed her. Millie sighed and wrapped her arms around his waist, and she returned it, their mouths moving together in a passionate synchronization. She shouldn't, but at the moment she didn't care, and she wanted him.

It was easy enough to open her mouth to him and allow his tongue to enter, which her own quickly submitted to. They both groaned at the contact but continued.

Several minutes passed before they broke apart. "How long have you wanted to do that?" Even though it wasn't necessary, she was breathing heavily.

"Since I first saw you in that clearing, though, that was only a fraction of what I wanted to do to you." The intensity in his golden eyes caused her stomach to flutter.

"We should get back before Carlisle and Emmett miss you," Millie reminded him. She didn't need to, but she had a feeling Jasper was all up for ditching Emmett if meant they got more "personal time" together.

"I don't care if they'll miss me," Jasper growled, his arms tightening on her. "You come first."

Millie pressed herself against him, a slight purr in his chest at her words. It was instinctual, but she liked it and was pleased.

His mouth captured hers once more for several long moments before Millie finally pulled away. "Come on," she said, "Let's get back to the house."

Jasper pulled back and nodded before they ran back to the house. "So how long are these hunting trips y'all usually take?"

"Usually a weekend, but I won't be gone that long. I'll be back within two to three hours." He rolled his eyes. "Emmett's been eager for a wrestling match."

Millie snorted. "Good luck with that. He's going to lose."

His lips curled into a smirk. "Always, but the challenge is fun."

"Oh, I'm sure it,...wait a minute, are you saying I'm not a challenge?!"

"I'll see you real soon, darlin." He winked at her and then was gone in a flash, leaving her shaking her head.

The past few months had improved their relationship, and there was now a decent amount of trust Millie held towards her mate. And she couldn't help but like him, and of course, there was the fact that he was a fine man to look at. What happened in the forest had surprised her, but the Mississippian vampire didn't regret it. She still wasn't ready to fully consummate their bond, but they were a bit closer than the previous year.

Well, she had some alone time, so she decided to call up her coven sister, Aaliyah, and check-in.

"Hello?" Her sister picked up after a few rings.

"Hey, Aaliyah, it's Millie," she announced as she hopped onto her bed.

"Hey girl, what's up?"

"Nothing much right now, Jasper went on a hunting trip with some of his coven mates and will be back in a couple of hours. I have some alone time, and I thought I would call you."

"Oh? What's been going on between the two of you?" Aaliyah asked. "Spill the tea."

Millie laughed. "As you know, our relationship has improved, and well, just now, things might have gotten a bit heated between us."

"What were y'all arguing about?"

"It wasn't an argument, Liyah, when I said heated moment, I meant something else entirely."

"Ooooh!" Aaliyah yelled. "So he claimed you, is that it?"

The thought of it sent her stomach fluttering once more. "No! How could you think that knowing the circumstances!"

"Well, did you like it? I mean, did you like what you actually did?"

"I wasn't complaining. In fact, I was very much involved."

"Well, I can't blame you there," Aaliyah said in between giggles. "From the pictures you sent, he is a fine man to look at it."

Millie felt a pang of jealously but dismissed it instantly. "Speaking of which, what about you and Cameron?"

"Well, considering I'm not in your situation, that ship passed some time ago." She could hear the smugness in her sister's voice. "We mated, but we are taking it slow. He'll be a good vegetarian."

"I'm thinking of bringing Jasper to meet y'all around Spring Break," she mused. "Pass it along to Obadiah and Louise and let me know what they think."

"About time, too," Aaliyah pointed out. "But I'll pass it along; I'm sure they won't have an issue with it. In fact, pretty sure they want to meet him."

"Well, it will either be then, or the beginning of summer, but anyway, I'll let you go and talk to you later."

"Alright, Miss Thing," Aaliyah griped, but it was good-natured. "Good luck with that man of yours."

"Same to you, bye, Liyah."

"Bye!"

Millie tossed her cellphone aside and flopped on the bed before stretching her limbs. She got up and decided to take a relaxing shower and washed her hair. The southern vampire was glad to have the personal time to herself. She donned up her hair into a braided crown and slipped into knitted pink off the shoulder sweater with matching form-fitting pants and sat down to work on her art. It was a hobby that she had picked up decades ago, and she found it quite relaxing. She could paint, draw, and even make her own sculptures. She decided to do a watercolor piece of some of the natural sights she had seen in Forks.

Several paintings later, she could hear the distant sound of a vehicle rolling down the path that led to the main house. Curious, she listened and winced as she instantly recognized the loud roar of Bella's truck. What was she doing here?

Edward's breakup with Bella had left the human girl devastated and lifeless from the little she had seen and heard about Bella. Emmett and Rosalie were supposedly away at college, so they didn't see Bella, and Alice avoided her dutifully. Jasper spent his time with Millie, not showing much interest in Bella. Still, she felt a twinge of sympathy for the girl, but as far as she knew, nothing had changed.

The sounds of the engine eventually stopped, and she could pick up Bella's freesia like scent. Millie could hear the sound of several knocks against the door, but she didn't hear the door open. There were several more knocks, and she heard a loud sigh of frustration that was from none other than Bella. The main house must have been empty as she couldn't hear the other vampires. With a roll of her eyes, she grabbed a pair of boots and left the cottage.

It was mere seconds before she appeared before a stunned Bella, who gaped at her for several moments. Bella looked decent, but she had seen better days, such as the night of her birthday party before everything went to hell. She wore a grey long-sleeved henley with an unbuttoned short-sleeved dark grey plaid shirt over it and a pair dark wash straight-legged jeans and black converse. Her hair was slightly messy, and she wore a big yellow overcoat with it.

"What are you doing here?" Millie asked calmly.

"I was looking for Alice," Bella stuttered out, somewhat flustered. Her heart was beating rapidly, which indicated she was nervous.

"They aren't here," Millie informed her. "And no, I don't know where they are."

Bella frowned. "So, it's just you and Jasper?" What a nosy little thing.

"No." She shook her head. "Jasper went hunting with Carlisle and Emmett."

An awkward silence fell between them as Bella appeared to gather her thoughts. "It's not fair!" The human suddenly blurted out.

"What's not fair?" Millie found herself actually curious. "Is this about Edward?"

"Your world," Bella gritted out. "I'm apart of it now." So it had finally come down to that.

"Well, if you're going to talk about it, then come along," Millie said before turning on her heel and walking back towards the cottage.

Bella kept up with her, stoic and silent with her jaw clenched. They came to the river that ran behind the house, and Bella blinked.

"I can toss you if you like," she said somewhat jokingly. "The cottage is just over the river. It gives Jasper and me some privacy away from the others."

Bella just stared at her until she rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Get on my back," she commanded, tapping her foot impatiently. "Or you can go back home."

The human girl's frown returned, and she nodded before wrapping her arms around Millie's neck. It was easy to hoist Bella up enough and for her to leap across the river and deposit Bella the moment she hit the other side.

She caught the girl before she could fall, and Bella nodded, clearly grateful. "Come on. It's not far." And it was true for both human and vampire. They reached the cottage, and Millie opened the door and allowed the fragile human inside. She slipped out of her boots and put them up before sitting on the couch and motioning for Bella to take a seat.

"So let's start with the basic obvious: you know the secret."

Bella nodded grimly; her jaw clenched once again.

"How much do you know about the Volturi?"

Bella swallowed heavily. "Edward said you don't irritate them if you don't want to die."

"True," Millie acknowledged. It looked like that neanderthal had given Bella some of the necessary information. "But specifically, they do have laws, and the most important one is never to expose the secret to humans."

"Like me," Bella said quietly.

"Yes, now if you became a vampire, then there isn't a problem," Millie continued. "However, your so-called ex-boyfriend decided to leave you here as a human."

A look of pure agony crossed Bella's face. "I-I don't like what he did," she said quietly. "I don't like how he did it."

"You shouldn't," Millie said kindly. "He was an asshole, and clearly, he didn't give a damn about the consequences of his actions."

Her head snapped towards the door. It looked like her mate would be there within a matter of seconds.

"What is it?" Bella asked nervously.

"Oh, it's just Jasper," Millie said easily as the door swung open, and Jasper entered the cottage, looking quite pissed off.

...

Jasper snapped the neck of the mountain lion he had caught with ruthless precision before sinking his teeth into its neck. He was aware that Emmett was wrestling with a bear about twenty feet away, and Carlisle had made a kill earlier.

When he was finished, he pulled back, feeling a deep satisfaction within. The past few weeks had been draining, continually moving around a swarm of humans at the high school. He thought about killing another animal, but then he didn't want to feel "bloated."

"You've been doing much better," Carlisle remarked as he watched him quietly from his spot against a tree.

"Better at what?" He asked as he began to dig a hole to dump the carcass into. They both knew that Jasper had never been a consistent target for praise.

"At everything," the Cullen patriarch answered, a thoughtful look on his face. "Millie is good for you."

"Well, she is my mate," the empath retorted as he finished burying the lion.

"Yeah, but have you sealed the deal yet?" Emmett boomed as he joined them.

Jasper growled, and Emmett held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Chill, bro! Genuine question!"

"Genuine my ass!" He snapped, his eyes flashing dangerously. "You're not living under a rock; you know how things are between us!"

And he sure was as hell wasn't going to mention that incident (a very welcome one that is) that happened in the forest.

"Stop riling him up, Emmett," Carlisle scolded before he turned back to Jasper. "I am happy that you found your mate, son." His emotions reflected his statement.

His irritation abated somewhat, and he let out a sigh before willing himself to calm down. "Thanks, Carlisle," he said quietly. "I gotta get back to Millie, I'll see y'all later." With that, he took off, his thoughts turning towards the past few months. They had been long and complicated, but he had used the time to get Millie to begin to trust him. It had worked somewhat, though he knew she still had lingering suspicions and was still wary of him at times. If there was one thing that Jasper was glad about, it was that there was no longer an undercurrent of fear in her emotions. That was the thing he hated the most. Mates didn't fear one another, it was supposed to an unbreakable bond of love, trust, and genuine contentment, but he didn't have that, and worse, it was his own damn fault.

He still couldn't believe he had denied his very nature and that they had separated those first several months. It had to be done. He wasn't sure their relationship would have survived if Millie hadn't left. However, he would never do it again, and he was sure, even if she didn't admit it, that the separation had bothered Millie as much as it did him.

And Millie, well, from the parts of her personality that he knew and not the ones that were a defense against him, he couldn't help but like her. She had the quintessential southern spirit and pride, a creative mind, and a streak of kindness even towards those who didn't deserve it.

As he neared the cottage, he instantly picked up the all too familiar scent that belonged to none other than Bella Swan. What the hell was she doing? He picked up the end of the conversation and flung the door open, tense and his former irritation turning into full-blown anger.

"Um, hey Jasper," Bella stuttered, out, her fear rising beneath the turmoil that was her emotions.

"What are you doing here?" He asked tightly, not in the mood for niceties.

His mate glared at him. "Don't be rude. I invited her here. She went to the main house, but no one was there."

"That's because Alice dragged them to Seattle for a shopping trip," he explained when he felt a burst of sadness from Bella. He knew the girl hated shopping, so she must really miss his ex-wife if she felt sad at missing out on a shopping trip.

He sat down next to Millie, his gaze focused on Bella, who fiddled with her fingers. "Well?" He prompted, crossing his arms against his chest.

"She was telling me that she's apart of our world now," Millie informed him after several moments of awkward silence from Bella. She looked at the human with a sympathetic expression. "Go on and say it. Think of it as practice for when the rest of the coven gets back."

"Edward can't undo what he did," Bella said, lifting her chin slightly, a burst of anger giving her apparent confidence. "And the law is the law."

"It is. By all rights, you should be dead." He wasn't going to pretend as Edward did. He would give the girl the stone-cold truth.

"I don't want to die," she retorted defensively, and Jasper arched an eyebrow.

"No, but your wants do not matter," he said coolly. Many vampires and humans had gone to their deaths, not wanting to. It was rare for someone to die because they wanted to.

"What if I became one of you?" Bella asked, turning her gaze from him to Millie.

He stared at the human for several long moments, considering her words. So she still wanted to become a vampire? Even though that dipshit Edward had left? If Bella were changed, then all accounts with the law would be settled, but he still had to wonder at her motives.

"Perhaps that is something you should think about before deciding," Millie said gently.

"Why are the rest of the family ignoring me?" Bella asked.

"They are following the whims of that dumbass ex-boyfriend of yours," his mate answered. "If it gives you some comfort, they don't hate you. They still care about you."

He felt a burst of hope and happiness from Bella at Millie's words. "Don't do anything stupid based on that info, Bella," he warned, and he felt her happiness deflate somewhat, but it remained.

"Okay, I'll think it over, though I'm sure my mind won't change," Bella said, and he felt her confidence shoot back up.

"Did Edward tell you anything about vampire life?" Fuckward had always been depressed about being a vampire. That idiotic Yankee had thought the change meant the damnation of one's soul, which was a ridiculous opinion. If anything, a person's actions determine if they were damned, not whether they were vampire or human.

Bella rolled her eyes. "I've heard it all, Jasper. Vampires are strong, dangerous, beautiful, and deadly. You're the ultimate predators, and humans can't stand against you."

He almost let out a chuckle. "Really? So you're ready to be a raging newborn with no control and running on instinct?"

Both her face and her emotions faltered. "What do you mean?" She asked after a moment's hesitation.

Of course, that dipshit didn't tell her. "When a vampire is first changed, they retain their human blood in their system for a year, which makes them much stronger, faster, and agile than a regular vampire. Newborns are volatile and are controlled by their thirst."

Bella's face blanched. "He didn't tell me anything about that," she admitted. He felt a flare of anger from her, mixed with irritation. Was she angry at Edward? Maybe there was hope for the girl.

"That would have been one hell of a surprise if he had changed you," Millie remarked. "No offense, but your ex is trash."

Bella was quiet for several moments before she finally looked at them. "I think I need a few days to think about all this." Her voice was soft, and he could feel a current of uncertainty in her emotions.

"Then go and think about it," Millie said, her tone gentle.

Bella nodded before she stood up. "Thank you," she said before she turned to leave. Jasper barely refrained from rolling his eyes. How was she going to cross the river?

"You need a vampire to get back across the river," his mate said, her voice filled with amusement.

Bella whirled back around, her face flushed, embarrassment flowing through her emotions. "I had forgotten about that," she said with a wince.

Millie stood up. "I'll take you," she said before disappearing and reappearing with her shoes on. "Come on." The two left, leaving Jasper alone with his thoughts once again.

He felt his phone vibrate, and he whipped it out. "Why are you calling me right now?"

"Now, Major, is that any way to greet your brother, you asshole?" Peter's cheerful voice responded.

"It's good enough for you," Jasper retorted, but there was no bite to it. "How are you and Charlotte?"

"Doing good, and excited to see your mate," Peter said with an air of all-knowing smugness. "She's a keeper."

"She is," Jasper agreed. "And how do you know you'll be seeing my mate?"

"You know how it is," his brother retorted. "I know shit, and I know Charlotte, and I will be coming up there real soon."

"I can't wait," Jasper drawled out when the door opened, and Millie came in. She raised an eyebrow in question.

"Did the Missus just walk in?" Peter asked. "Put her on speaker! Charlotte, come here!"

Jasper rolled his eyes but obliged. Millie slipped out of her shoes and put them away before plopping down on the couch next to him. "Who is that?" She asked, curious.

"Peter and Charlotte," Jasper answered. "It's on speaker."

Millie became somewhat shy. "Hello," she said with a small smile.

"Hey there, suga, we've heard quite a bit about you," Charlotte's voice rang from the phone.

"I'm sure it was all good, right?" Millie asked, shooting him a playful look, which he returned with a smirk.

"Indeed it was, suga," Peter drawled. "Peter and Charlotte Whitlock, at your service."

"Well, Peter, I told Jasper to tell you, but I do want to say thank you again for your help that night," Millie said, and he could feel her overwhelming gratitude.

"My pleasure, mam," Peter said light-heartedly.

"So when will the two of you come and visit?" Millie asked casually, surprising him and by the sounds of it Peter and Charlotte.

She let out a laugh. "Oh come on, it's not hard to put two and two together, and I do want to meet y'all in person."

"They can come at any time," Jasper said, "Though we don't have any room here, so..."

"You can move into my room, and Peter and Charlotte can take the guest room," his mate cut him off. She glanced at him. "Unless you have any objections?"

"I'm sure the Major is happy about that!" Peter crowed when they heard a light-hearted hit. "Ow, damn it, woman! That hurt!"

Peter was telling the truth there. But Millie's suggestion was unexpected. Welcome, but surprising. "It's fine with me, darlin," he said, trying to get a feel of her emotions, but they were calm and steady. He bit back a smirk. Even better, because it meant that she was sure of her decision for them to share the same room.

"Come on up, next weekend," Jasper suggested, turning his attention back to the phone. "You can stay with us, as we might as well get used to living together again. After graduation, it's Texas." He had discussed it somewhat with them, but it was always good to state his intentions.

"Sounds good," Charlotte said. "We'll settle up down here and be on our way, Major."

"Good," Jasper said. "And you know not to hunt inside Cullen territory." Carlisle would have a fit, and there was the treaty to consider as well.

"Of course not, Jasper," Charlotte said. "We have manners, don't we, Peter?"

"Yeah, we do," Peter grumbled. "We'll be up there Friday afternoon." Good. Another reason to look forward to the weekend, besides not having school.

"Sounds good," Millie said. "We'll have everything ready for you."

"Told you so, Major," Peter said smugly. "We'll see you soon."

"Bye, y'all!" Charlotte said sweetly.

"Bye, Charlotte," Jasper said, his eyes narrowing slightly before he addressed Peter somewhat playfully. "And I'll see you later, asshole." With that, he hung up before he turned to Millie, studying her quietly.

"You make me nervous when you do that," she said abruptly. "What is it?"

"I'm just surprised that you suggested we share a room, that's all," he said quietly. "Are you sure about that?" As much as he wanted it, he didn't want it to happen before Millie was ready.

She looked up at him, and a soft smile appeared on her perfect face. "I am," she said softly, touching one of his hands. He felt a thrill of pleasure run up his spine, and he felt a relaxed contentment from both of them.

"Alright then," he said, before rising to his feet and giving her a small smile. "I'll get to it right now."

* * *

AN: And that is the conclusion of Chapter 7! Hope y'all enjoyed it! Thank you to everyone who left a review, followed, or favorited this story! And just for specific clarification, the story has now moved forward to February of 2018.


	8. Chapter 8

AN: Quick note of change. I did some editing on my previous chapters (mostly cleaning minor mistakes, but Chapter 4, had major editing, though it hasn't fundamentally changed. Also, I changed the year the story started. So, chapter 1 began in 2017, and chapters 7 and 8 are both in 2018.

* * *

_February 10, 2018_

Millie ran the vacuum over the rug before she flitted to the window and dusted off the curtains, making sure everything was presentable for the arrival of Peter and Charlotte.

"Alright," Jasper said as he walked into the house, arms filled with piles of blue-ray discs, containing tons of movies and tv shows, to stock up the media room. "I think I nearly cleared out the store in Seattle, not that they were complaining."

"Did you clean the guest room and the bathroom?"

He gave her an exasperated look. "I didn't forget, Millie." He disappeared into the media room and began setting it up.

She checked again and then double-checked. The entire cottage had been cleaned (not that it was dirty, but still), and the guest room had fresh sheets and towels and a comfortable flat screen in case Charlotte and Peter wanted to watch tv together. Esme had done them a tremendous favor in soundproofing the walls in both bedrooms as much as possible for a vampire for a decent amount of privacy.

The kitchen was stocked as well, though not with the normal human foods. Millie had introduced Jasper to the concept of storing blood in thermoses. She had gone out and gathered both human and animal blood and stored them in the refrigerator at a specific temperature for blood so it wouldn't spoil—bear, deer, fox, orca, mountain lion, and of course, adult human blood.

Everything was ready. All she needed to do was take a shower, get dressed, and do her hair. Millie picked out a simple yet elegant long-sleeved red perforated sweater with a pair of black skinny jeans. She set her hair into finger coils and decided she would wear the cherry shaped earrings she picked out months ago.

Jasper showered and changed into a pair of blue jeans, dark soled leather boots, and a dark royal blue and black plaid button-up shirt, that he kept partly unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up. He caught her admiring gaze and winked at her when the doorbell rang. Millie felt her stomach flutter and cursed inwardly.

Her mate walked up to the front door and opened it, a full grin on his god-like face as he came face to face with his coven.

The first of them was a man. He was tall and lean and looked to be around 6"3 with pale blonde hair, and pale white skin. His eyes were a burgundy red, and he looked to be maybe twenty-two or twenty-three in Millie's estimation. He wore a blue buttoned shirt underneath a grey vest and blue jeans and dark sneakers. The woman beside him was his polar opposite, standing at five feet with pale skin, crimson eyes, and wavy pale blonde hair that fell to just below her shoulders. She was pretty curvy, but not fat. She wore a long-sleeved soft yellow cardigan over a white blouse, dark wash skinny jeans, and tan colored boots with a slight thick heel. Looks like someone had a good sense of style.

"Peter, Charlotte," Jasper acknowledged with a grin which they both returned.

"Brother!" Peter responded cheerfully as they clasped each other on their backs. Charlotte embraced Jasper, which he returned warmly.

Millie stepped forward somewhat shyly, knowing she was the oddball out.

"There she is!" Peter crowed as he wrapped her up in a bear hug. Millie let out a laugh and returned it before he set her down to be hugged by Charlotte.

"Hey there, suga," Charlotte greeted. "How are you?"

"Fine," she answered. "And yourselves?"

"That was a hell of a long drive," Peter grumbled, though Millie could tell he wasn't really that annoyed.

"You could have run," Jasper retorted. "But all the same, it's good to see both of you."

Once they got settled in, they gathered in the living room. "So, where are the two of you from?" Millie asked, interested in their backgrounds.

"Texas," Both of them said in unison, which made her smile. Well, that would explain the twangy drawls they both spoke with.

"I was born in 1865 in Tyler, Texas, and changed by Jasper in 1888," Peter continued. "I came from a family of farmers."

"And what about you, Charlotte?" Millie asked, turning towards Peter's mate.

"I was born in Galveston in 1910 and was changed in 1930 at the age of twenty by Jasper," Charlotte said. "My father worked in the shipyards while my mother was a school teacher."

"How many vampires have you sired?" Millie asked, turning to her mate, taking note of how his face hardened a bit.

"None that are alive now besides Peter and Charlotte." Was his cryptic reply. She would get the truth out of him later.

"By the way, there's blood in the kitchen if you want some." A hostess always had good manners. "We have both human and animal if you're interested."

Peter and Charlotte looked at one another before looking at her. "Now, how did you manage that?" He asked, his crimson eyes brimming with curiosity.

"A good syringe never fails."

"Well, I'll be damned," Peter muttered. "I think I'll stick to human blood if you don't mind." That was perfectly fine. It meant more animal blood for her and Jasper.

"I'll take the same, please," Charlotte said, and Millie rose to her feet and disappeared into the kitchen. It didn't take long to warm the human blood up to, and she brought it out in wine glasses before handing them to Peter and Charlotte.

She turned to her mate. "Would you like anything, Jasper?"

"You might as well try the human blood, Major," Peter said before he took another swallow from the glass.

Jasper grimaced. "I've had enough of human blood for a lifetime," he said before looking at Millie. "Any animal will be fine, suga."

She disappeared and returned with two more glasses of bear and orca. She handed the orca to Jasper, before settling comfortably into the couch again.

"So speaking of humans," Peter began casually. "What are y'all gonna do about that human girl?"

"Peter!" Charlotte gave her a husband a dirty look.

"I'm wondering how you know, considering I didn't tell you a damn thing," Jasper said, his eyes darkening slightly.

"Now come on, Major, you know better by now. I know shit!"

It was apparent he did, and it seemed like it was at the most random of moments. It was a very strange gift in Millie's opinion. She vaguely wondered if her gift could affect his power. Food for thought.

"That _human_ has things to figure out on her own," her mate said pointedly. "As of now, nothing."

Peter's eyebrows shot up in clear surprise, but he didn't say anything further.

"How are the Cullens?" Charlotte asked, redirecting the conversation, which Millie appreciated.

"They're alright," Her mate answered. "Edward's bullshit might have thrown them off, but they're managing it."

"And what about dear old, Eddie?"

"What about that fuckwit?" Jasper's brows lifted slightly. "He checks in every once in a while with Esme and Carlisle, but that's it."

"I'm surprised he's lasted this long from his mate," Peter said when Charlotte elbowed him slightly. "Ow, woman!"

"Enough of that," Charlotte said, giving him a dirty look before turning to Millie. "So, Jasper said you were born in Mississippi?"

"Born and raised in Meridian, Mississippi," Millie said, amused by Peter's antics. "I was born in the middle of a hot July in 1910 on the 21st, the youngest of five children. My mama was a maid, and my daddy was a sharecropper."

"So the simple life?" Peter nodded when Jasper and Charlotte both scowled at him.

"A life under Jim Crow?" Millie mused, enjoying the panic that came to Peter's face as he began stuttering. "Not really, it was hard."

"When were you changed?" Peter rushed out when her mate threw a pillow at him. "What?!"

"You actually fucking think you're getting that story when I haven't heard it?" Jasper stared him down, and Peter lowered his head.

"Sorry," he muttered, and she couldn't help but burst into a fit of giggles, causing the mood to lighten somewhat.

"It's alright, Peter. I will tell you that story one day, I promise."

Peter smiled before his face turned serious. "So, how we gonna deal with Victoria, Major?"

"The same as anyone else that comes after what's mine," Jasper said shortly.

Millie felt a chill run down her spine at his words, and it wasn't out of fear, it was something else even if she didn't care to name it at the moment. It was against her nature to go this long without being claimed by her mate, but the reality of she actually was demanded that she wait. The duality of a black female vampire.

"About that," she said, drawing everyone's attention to her. "I've been thinking about Laurent.."

"I've thought about him too," Jasper said, crossing his arms against his chest. "Carlisle claims he's in relationship with Irina and sticking with the diet."

"You believe him?" Charlotte questioned.

He shook his golden head. "Laurent's no count trash and an uncertainty." His face hardened. "I hate uncertainty."

"So, when are we going to Denali?" Peter asked, a knowing look in his eye.

"Denali?" Millie repeated with a frown. He never mentioned Denali to her. "Maybe, it would be better to call up there?"

"It gives him the element of surprise, sugar," Charlotte explained. Well, that did make sense, but she was still uneasy about the whole thing.

"And I prefer to deal with Laurent face to face," Jasper said, his eyes glinting with anticipation.

"So, you're just going to Alaska while I'm down here?" There was just the tiniest hint of distress in her voice. Was he actually going to leave her?

The look he gave her spoke volumes. "When did I say that, suga?" He asked. "You're coming with me." The possessive edge to his voice sent another chill down her spine. Damn this man and the way he made her feel!

"Denali, it is then," Peter said good-humoredly. "Can't wait to visit."

Under normal circumstances, Millie would have found such a trip, enjoyable, but now...

"Carlisle mentioned this coven has five people, and two of them have gifts too, though I'm not sure what it is...what if they try and fight us over Laurent?"

"Kate can project an electrical current that can cover her whole body, and Eleazar can identify the type of gifts a vampire has," Jasper explained. "And a fight? They're not that stupid."

"Damn right, they aren't," Peter agreed. "Kate can be taken out first if needed."

"Well, is her gift physical or mental?" If it was mental, then obviously she could help, if not, then the Denali would have another advantage against them.

Her mate grimaced. "It could be either one, Eleazar never mentioned that bit of information."

"So, as Peter said, we take her out first," Charlotte said without the slightest hint of fear.

"They don't have a chance in hell of winning," Jasper stated matter of fact, "so I'd be surprised if there was a fight."

"You'll think they'll hand him over?" Peter questioned.

"Yes."

Millie let out a sigh. It was clear that Jasper's mind was made up. "Alright, fine," she said, leaning back against the couch. "When?"

"Next weekend," he answered. "And we'll skip school Friday, to give us more time."

"School," Peter snorted. "I would never!" Charlotte let out a laugh, which turned into a cough as Jasper glared at them.

"You will if I say you will," he snapped. "I wouldn't do it if there wasn't a benefit to it."

"Perhaps we'll just do college from now on," Millie interrupted, giving her mate a pointed look. "But that conversation can wait."

...

After Peter and Charlotte got settled in their room, Jasper and Millie decided to "retire" for the night. He sat on the edge of the bed as Millie changed into more comfortable clothing.

He had caught her earlier distress and anxiety when Peter had mentioned going to Denali. And while he wanted her to be happy, the other part of him was pleased, because it revealed a simple yet obvious truth: Millie didn't want to be separated from him.

Sure there was that moment in the forest a week ago, but he wasn't a fool. The attraction between them was never an issue. It was the truth of their respective backgrounds. He was patiently waiting for Millie to reconcile the inner turmoil she felt, and that moment, that fraction of a second, let him know that he was one step closer to having her.

Millie walked out of the bathroom in a soft pink shirt and a pair of black shorts that were very short. Her hair was pulled back, and she was carrying a bunch of nail polish. She hopped on the bed and began to look through several bottles of nail polish, humming softly to herself.

He couldn't speak. Or well he could, but he didn't know what to say when Millie was right there and _looking like that._

_She looks good, _the Major rumbled. _She would look even better without any goddamn clothes on, but you fucked up, and now we gotta wait._

"I think that went well," Millie said, examining a bottle of red nail polish. "I like Peter and Charlotte."

"It did," he agreed. It pleased him to see his coven getting along with one another. "Though there was something I noticed during that long conversation."

Her head snapped up. "What?" From the feel of her emotions, she knew exactly what he was talking about. But he could play the game.

"When Peter mentioned Denali for the first time, about me going up there."

Her face didn't change, but her emotions did. Embarrassment and irritation pushed against him, but he batted it aside. Finally, she looked away and turned her focus back to her nail polish set, picking up a green bottle and opening it. "What did you notice?"

His gift had many aspects to it that he learned to hone over the years. With his perfect vampire memory, it was very easy to recall a particular cocktail of emotions. And now he formed it and sent it to Millie, the way someone might hold up a mirror. She would feel it, but it wouldn't influence her.

The silence stretched between them for several moments before she set aside her nail polish. Her golden eyes met his, reflecting the wariness that her emotions projected.

"What about it?" Her voice was soft, and there was a rawness to it that suggested she was feeling vulnerable.

In a flash, he had her against the wall, pressed firmly against him and in his arms. Her breath hitched, and her eyes widened as he lowered his face towards her.

"You're mine," he said simply, the Major beginning to seep in as well. "I'll never let you go, you hear?"

"So, sure?" His mate asked, and his lips curled up into a dangerous smirk.

"One hundred percent sure, darlin," he said, leaning his forehead against hers. "And one day, I'm gonna claim you."

Lust, nervousness, and desire raged within as she processed his words. They both knew what it meant. Northern vampires would simply acknowledge the bond and be done with it. In the south, though, they had a different way of doing things.

"Claim me?" Her voice was faint. "How?"

Jasper chuckled, the vibration of his chest causing her to shake a bit. "You know the answer to that," he lowered his voice. "Deep inside of you, with my teeth in your neck." He stroked her neck before pulling away. "And you won't be wearing any clothes, that's for sure."

Her emotions were like a swirling vortex. He could feel her desire, anticipation, nervousness, uncertainty, shyness, and hope all spinning around within her.

Her brow furrowed. A slither of unease. "I...don't know what to say to that," she admitted.

"You don't need to say anything, suga." He gave her a dark smile. "That was a promise and a hint of what will eventually happen."

With that, he took another step back, before he turned and leaped out the window, disappeared into the forest.

Brown, green, and red blurred past him as he charged through the trees, enjoying the dry night and the cool breeze. It was then he allowed his thoughts to wander.

At that moment, he was nothing more than an apex predator. He was pure instinct and drive, the man that had been feared by many. He cleared the stream and landed before taking off once more.

He stopped on a rocky precipice and sat down, his legs hanging over the perilous edge as he thought about the reality of his current situation. What he told Millie was the truth, and he intended for it to happen come hell or high water.

Hours passed, and he remained unmoving until he could sense the breaking of dawn. Jasper stood up and returned to the cottage, where Millie was on the bed with her laptop out. He kicked off his shoes and sat on the bed next to her, allowing himself to relax.

"What are you up to, suga?"

Millie glanced at him before turning back to her computer. "I should ask you the same thing. You were out all night."

"I wasn't up to no good." He grinned. "That's a promise."

Millie rolled over and sat up before closing her laptop. She extended her hand. He gave her a questioning look.

She shook her head and balled her hand into a fist and stuck her thumb up. Recognition filled him. Thumb war. An old but familiar game, and one his mate was going to lose.

He clasped her hand and stuck his own thumb up before he gave her a nod to begin.

"One, two, three, four, I declare a thumb war," her voice rang sweetly. "Five, six, seven, eight, try and keep your thumbs straight."

Her thumb moved, but he was quicker and stronger. He had her thumb pinned in under a second, leaving her stunned. Her eyes flickered up at him, and he raised an eyebrow in question. "Sorry, darlin, but you ain't gonna win this game."

There was a flare of determination, and she gritted her teeth. "Let's try that again," she growled, and she began the chant again.

He bit back a laugh as the same thing happened again. Millie scowled and pulled back. "Well, I guess that's to be expected."

"Maybe." He grinned before he grew more serious. "I wanna hear something else about yourself."

She blinked at him and crossed her arms. "Something else? I've given you plenty."

That was true. Over the past few months, they had gotten to know one another as Millie slowly became more comfortable with him. He had begun to get a feel for her. Dark green was her favorite color, though she loved soft pinks, vibrant yellows, rich silvers, dark reds, and of course, black.

Millie's favorite hobby was painting, though she also enjoyed drawing, calligraphy, scrapbooking, nail art, and a variety of board games.

When she read, it was usually magazines like _Ebony, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, _or_ Essence. _His mate also had a penchant on occasion for trashy romance novels and crime thrillers.

Rom-coms, chick flicks, thrillers, and slashers, were her favorite movie genres as well. She also kept up with several shows, such as _How to Get Away with Murder, The Handmaid's Tale, Power, Greenleaf, Prison Break, Chicago Fire, and Insecure. _Recently, he had even joined her on the bed or the couch to catch up with her favorite shows. And in return, he had introduced her to his own favorites such as _Vikings, Designated Survivor, Turn, The Punisher, Black Sails, and Arrow. _It was one of his favorite things to do because it gave them the chance to truly get to know one another and in a comfortable setting.

He also discovered to his amusement, that they tended to clash when it came to music, though they did enjoy the same top chart hits by popular artists on occasion. He preferred classic rock, country, and jazz, while Millie preferred pop, hip hop, rap, and r&b.

She loved jewelry, especially earrings, which she converted to clip-ons since they couldn't pierce her ears.

And even if she didn't need to, she loved doing yoga and pilates as well. Millie was anything but boring.

"You have," he acknowledged. "But I want to know more about you, Miss Millie."

She rolled her eyes, but he could feel her amusement and acquiescence. "Well, what do you want to know now?"

"You never told me how you became a vampire," he said carefully, watching her reaction.

Millie pulled back, her expression guarded, but her emotions clouded with unease. "No, I haven't," she admitted. "It's not really an important story, I guess."

That was a lie, and he knew it even without paying attention to the undercurrent of deceit in her emotions. "Really?" He questioned, giving her a pointed look.

She folded her arms and looked away. "No, not now."

He frowned, pushing down the beginnings of his anger. Was her change particularly traumatic, like Rosalie's? He knew that most people became vampires because a vampire had attempted a feed, but then there were the changes that had a particular underlying trauma. Torture, attempted murder, or rape could be any of the possibilities that led to Millie becoming a vampire. But he could feel her stubbornness, and he knew that he shouldn't push it at the moment.

"Alright," he said, placing a comforting hand on the middle of her back, which caused her emotions to ease up slightly.

After a few moments, his mate turned back around. "You know that pearl necklace I wear from time to time?"

It was a gold chain with a single white pearl dangling from it. "What about it?"

"It's a family antique, which is why I don't wear it every day. A memento from my human past."

"My grandmother gave it to me when I turned eighteen, and I loved it." A distant look came into her eyes. "I had always loved pearls, even if I knew I could never afford them. If I went into town, I'd always give a lingering look at the jeweler's shop and their beautiful set of pearls they had on display."

"When my grandmother gave that necklace to me, she told me it was a family heirloom from the previous century. My great grandmother had taken it as payment for services rendered when Lincoln freed the slaves." A small smile appeared on her face. "It means very much to me. It's my legacy."

He was at a loss for words, but then as he thought about it, maybe Millie didn't want him to say anything. She had revealed something about herself and her family at his asking. It did give him an idea, though he would have to give it some more thought before he went through with it.

"You have anything from your human life?" She asked him.

He had never thought of going back, and when he was with Maria, he hadn't wanted to. "No."

She gaped at him in surprise. "Oh," she said. "Well, we have the rest of the morning. What do you want to do?"

"I want a rematch on that game of scrabble from the other day." She had beaten him three times. It was time for a win of his own.

A grin appeared on her face. "Eager to lose again?" It took all of three seconds for her to fetch the game.

"I wouldn't be so confident this time, suga," he warned playfully, as she began to set up the game. "I learn from my mistakes."

* * *

AN: So, there's the end of Chapter 8! Hope y'all enjoyed it! And once again, thank you to everyone who left a review, favorited or followed this story!


	9. Chapter 9

"I can't wait to get out of this rainy hellhole," Millie grumbled as she got ready for school. The sky was dark as thunder roared, lightning flashed, and rain poured down heavily.

She had decided to wear a white and black long-sleeved striped shirt and a pair of skinny blue jeans. Since it was raining cats and dogs, she would wear her favorite pair of rain boots: black Evedon Rainboots from Joules. She grabbed her ice silver nylon slightly puffed jacket lined with faux fur along the hood. She did her hair into a neatly braided crown that ended into a simple bun at the nape of her neck.

Jasper glanced out the window. He wore a midnight colored long-sleeved shirt, and a black leather jacket with dark blue jeans and his worn cowboy boots. She wondered yet again how a man could look so simple yet, so handsome. "A good day for baseball," he commented.

Millie scoffed. "After what happened the last time?"

"It brought me to you, and I ain't ever gonna regret that," he pointed out. "And yes, we do play baseball in weather like this. It's fun."

It had been years since she played baseball. "Well then, how about a game this afternoon after school?" Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, having a bit of fun before things got serious Friday.

Jasper smiled approvingly. "I'm up for it, and I'm sure Charlotte and Peter will be too. I'll talk to Emmett when we get to school about setting it up."

The ride to school was a short and quick one, despite the heavy rain. "If I were human, I'd complain about the reckless driving," Millie teased as Jasper pulled into the parking lot of Forks High School.

"Can't be called reckless if I know what I'm doing," Jasper retorted as he pulled into a parking space.

It was that time of year again, and one could tell from the array of red and white decorating the school as well as the Happy Valentine's Day sign hanging outside. People would exchange love letters, give chocolates, jewelry, flowers, or whatever they felt was appropriate for their sweetheart. Millie wasn't comfortable celebrating Valentine's Day yet, so she told Jasper to wait on it. If things continued as they did, then they would be celebrating their love next year.

She opened the car door and hopped out, pulling her hood tight on her head. If it weren't for the fact that they were skipping school on Friday to go to Denali, Millie would have skipped today as well.

They made their way across the parking lot when a frantic Bella stumbled in front of them, soaking wet and her eyes wide with what looked like fear.

"What happened?" Jasper was straight to the point.

Bella mouthed the words, and both instantly understood it. Vampire. "Alright," Millie said, trying to remain calm. "There's ten minutes before class starts. We can hang out in my car. Come on." With that, she turned around and headed back towards her Range Rover.

The vampire climbed into the passenger seat while her mate got in the driver's seat. Bella fumbled with the handle of the second door before she stumbled into the car and sat down. Millie turned the car on and turned up the heat, allowing Bella the chance to dry off somewhat.

They turned around in their seats. "What happened?" Jasper repeated, his expression unreadable.

"Someone was in my room," Bella mumbled as she ran a hand through her wet and messy hair. "I swear it."

Millie and Jasper looked at one another. "A vampire?" Her mate prompted, referencing her earlier accusation.

"I think so," Bella said shakily. "I'm not entirely sure, though. I can't think of anyone else that would go into my room."

Jasper threw the car into reverse and sped out of the parking lot and onto the main street. "Where are we going?" Millie asked, surprised at his actions.

"Bella isn't sure, but there is one way to find out," Jasper said as he made a turn at the light.

"You know where I live?" Bella asked, as she frantically buckled in her seatbelt.

Jasper snorted. "That moron you love made sure everyone knew where your address was in case there was an emergency."

He pulled up in front of the small white two-story house and got out. Millie hopped out as well, followed by Bella who unsurprisingly, tripped once again. The clumsy human ran up to the front door and unlocked it.

They walked through the front door, and Jasper immediately stiffened. It was abundantly clear that a vampire had been in the house, and it wasn't a scent Millie was familiar with.

"I got in late last night after spending time with Jake. Charlie was here." Bella said as she led them up the narrow stairs. "When I got into my bedroom, I noticed things were off."

"Well, you're right," Jasper said as he looked around the room before walking to the window. "A vampire was here. But it's not anyone we know."

"A red blouse and some of my socks are missing," Bella added quietly. A blouse and some socks? Was the intruder in need of clothing? Some nomads stole necessities as needed, but the more she thought on it, the more she felt a sickening pit in her stomach. A vampire came into a house and didn't kill? But they also took clothes?

"I'm confused," she muttered to Jasper. "Who would do something like this?"

Jasper's eyes narrowed. "I'd bet anything it's related to Victoria," he growled. "I just can't see the entire picture yet." That made two of them. Millie was fed up with the redhead bitch and her attempts at causing trouble.

"Victoria?" Bella breathed, her face becoming paler, red pooling into her cheeks, and her blue veins becoming more prominent. She sat down in the rocking chair in the corner of the room, clenching the handrails of the chair.

"She has friends we don't know about," Millie said, crossing her arms against her chest. "And I bet Laurent might know something about it too."

"Laurent's down here?" the human girl squeaked out, her eyes wide. She began to hyperventilate when suddenly she began to calm down.

"Thanks, Jasper," Bella mumbled out, giving the empath an appreciative look.

"Laurent's still up in Denali," Jasper said, staring out the window with his hands clasped behind his back.

"We're not waiting till Friday, are we?" Millie asked though she had a good idea of what the answer was going to be.

"Friday? What's happening, Friday?" Bella spoke up; her curiosity overtaking her unease and fear. What a nosy little human, but Millie supposed it was alright because of the present circumstances.

"Jasper needs to speak to Laurent about his loyalties," she answered. "He's not in the clear yet. He may still be allied with Victoria."

Jasper turned to face both of them. "No, we ain't waiting till Friday," he said abruptly. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"Can I come with you?" Bella asked.

"No!" Both Millie and Jasper said at the same time. They looked at each other before facing the human girl again.

"You will stay here and go to school, like normal," Jasper said, giving her a stern look. "We're going back to school. I'll talk to Carlisle about a family meeting this afternoon. You can come then because it's clear that you and your father are going to need some protection."

Bella gaped at him for several moments before she eventually nodded, though there was still a bit of uncertainty on her face. "Alright," she said. "I'm ready to go back whenever you are."

After locking up, they got back in Millie's car and headed back to school where the day dragged on, with most people focused on the fact that it was Valentine's Day. Afterward, they headed back to the Cullen's house with Bella in tow, where everyone awaited them in apparent anticipation.

"Bella," Esme cried before rushing to embrace the girl who winced a bit before returning it. "I'm so glad you're alright." The motherly vampire continued. "I set out some rice cakes and lemonade in the living room for you if you're hungry."

Bella smiled. "Thanks, Esme."

Peter and Charlotte were there and sitting in one of the loveseats next to the futon couch, which Millie sat on along with Jasper and Bella. Everyone else took their places and waited for Carlisle to begin.

"Jasper informed me of the fact that an unknown vampire was in your house," the Cullen patriarch said solemnly. "And for that, I apologize. We were trying to do right by Edward in leaving you alone, but that was a foolish mistake on our parts, and regardless, you are family."

Bella's face brightened, and she straightened up somewhat before she nodded. "You are forgiven," she said easily. "Whoever it was, took some items from my house as well."

"Alice?" Carlisle looked at the pixie vampire expectantly. Millie looked at her mate's ex expectantly. Would she finally prove useful now?

The psychic vampire shook her head. "I can't see anything," she said sourly. "It's the barest of shadowed flickers." Apparently not.

"Like someone playing with the holes in your vision," Jasper said, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "Something is going on."

"It is," Peter agreed. "That's the most of what I know. And more reason for us to get to Alaska."

"Is that what this supposed trip to Denali is about?" Carlisle frowned, the disapproval clear. "The Denali coven are our allies.."

"They are," Her mate interrupted. "I don't have a problem with the Denali. I have a problem with Laurent."

"You think he's a traitor?" Rosalie asked, arching a simple golden eyebrow.

"That's what I'm gonna find out," Jasper retorted.

"But what about the vampire that went through Bella's house?" Emmett asked. "You think Laurent knows him?"

"Perhaps. Either way, I have a strong feeling that's it's all connected."

Alice massaged her temples. "I wish I could see what's going on with Victoria, Bella, and this unknown vampire," she growled. "But it's those same flickers." Her head snapped up. "You're right. It can't be a coincidence."

"What should we do?" Esme asked.

"We need to look after Bella and her father," Carlisle said. "Jasper suggested it to me, and I agreed. It's the least we can do until we can figure out what is going on."

"A protection detail?" The disdain on Rosalie's face was evident. What was her problem with Bella? It seemed more than just the typical vampire disdain of humans, but it was more bordering on ridiculous.

"Rosalie," Esme said sharply, giving the blonde a stern look.

"Plan for our return sometime this weekend," Jasper said. "And then we'll help out."

"I have plans," Bella blurted out. "This Friday, I'm going out with some friends to the movies, she won't attack me there, so you don't have to watch me then."

Emmett grinned. "I'm pretty sure it's the night shift for us, Bella, or when your father is home alone."

"If I were you, I'd keep making those public plans with your friends," Charlotte suggested.

Jasper nodded in approval. "The more in public you are, the less risk of Victoria attacking you. Make plans for tomorrow as well."

"We can have a sleepover this weekend," Alice added. "If you're at our house, no one will dare attack you."

Bella appeared flustered and overwhelmed, but she nodded. "Charlie is up at 6:15 in the morning and at work by 7. He gets off at six, sometimes later on occasion. He doesn't work weekends. Sometimes he goes fishing with Billy."

"Well, at least we won't be watching him all day," Rosalie muttered, causing several people to glare at her.

"You should encourage him in that," Millie suggested, ignoring the icy blonde. "It will make things easier for everyone."

"So, we're all set for tomorrow, Major?" Charlotte piped up.

"Please, take care when you go up there," Esme cautioned. "I don't want any of the Denali hurt." That, Millie knew, was entirely up to the Denali.

"I will be careful," Jasper promised, though Millie noted he didn't say anything about not hurting the Denali. "Once I find out what I need to know, we can go from there."

...

It didn't take them long to reach the Denali. It was easy enough to cancel and book another flight, and Thursday morning, he and his coven headed to the Seattle Airport. From there, they caught a plane to Anchorage where they got a rental car and headed north to Healy, the center of the Denali Borough, and where their fellow vegetarian cousins lived.

"Oh give me a home, where the Buffalo roam..." Peter sang obnoxiously.

"Peter." Jasper glared at him through the rearview mirror. "Shut the hell up."

"My singing is great!" His brother complained. "I'm bored as hell. You should hurry up."

"He's doing almost ninety down the road," Millie pointed out, not looking up from her phone. "We'll be there soon."

"I can't wait," Charlotte complained. "I'm tired of being cooped up."

"You and me both babe," Peter agreed.

"Did Carlisle give them a heads up?" Charlotte asked. "I always like it when we have the element of surprise."

"No, it wouldn't have done any good," Jasper replied when he turned off onto a lone road.

They passed countless trees and other greenery until a huge house came into view. It was large, brown, and made up of wood and stone and other material, but it had a modern look to it.

Several people were already standing outside as they pulled up, which was to be expected, as they would have heard the car approach though Laurent wasn't among them. It was a good thing because it would give him time to speak to the Denali about what was going on. Charlotte was right; the element of surprise was a good thing.

"Keep it casual till I say otherwise," he murmured at vampire speed as he put the car in park, and everyone got out.

"Jasper?" Tanya said, surprise evident in her expression and her emotions. "Is everything alright? Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Her eyes focused on his coven. "And who have you brought with you?"

"This is my mate, Millie," he replied. "And my adopted brother and sister, Peter and his mate Charlotte."

"Hello," Millie said quietly as she observed the coven.

"Howdy," Peter said cheerfully while Charlotte politely inclined her head.

"This is Tanya, and her sisters, Kate and Irina, along with Eleazar and his mate, Carmen," he introduced before he grew more serious. "We have a bit of a problem."

"What is it?" Kate asked, caution and suspicion beginning to seep into her emotions.

"Victoria has been scouring around Forks looking for trouble," he explained. "And unknown vampire took some things from Bella's house. We believe something bigger is going on."

"How can we help you with that?" Tanya asked pointedly, crossing her arms against her chest. He could feel her suspicion and unease, as well as the rest of the Denali coven's. He was tempted to send out a wave of calm, but he didn't want to be accused of manipulating the situation to his advantage.

He gave her a cold smile. "Where's Laurent?" That should make his intentions very clear.

Just as he uttered the words, he caught the familiar scent of the man in question. He stiffened, and his head snapped in the direction Laurent appeared. The french vampire was at the edge of the forest, a shocked and frightened expression on his face.

A silent moment passed before Laurent turned and ran back into the trees. Jasper took off after him, ignoring Irina's cries and shouts of surprise from the others.

His coven followed after him, and they darted through the trees trying to catch Laurent, who was moving as fast as he could. But from the sounds of several footsteps, he knew they had company right on their tails.

"Flank!" He bellowed. Peter and Charlotte would know what to do, even if Millie didn't.

"He's getting away!" Millie shouted.

"No, he won't!" He said fiercely when Laurent whirled around and headed straight towards them. He was about to meet him head-on when a body crashed into him, sending him to the ground. A bolt of electricity ran through his body, sending him into convulsions, and making him grit his teeth in pain. Well, two could play at that game, motherfucker.

Suddenly he could hear Kate's high pitched scream and the sound of her body hitting the ground the painful emotions he had just reflected towards her. He could hear Millie shouting and struggling, but Kate's voltage had stunned him. It must have been her highest voltage. He swore under his breath as he tried to regain his bearing and looked around.

Peter and Charlotte were dealing with the other Denali, but Millie...where was she? Where was Laurent? He felt a sickening feeling, and he forced himself to his feet, sending the familiar cocktail to Kate, effectively knocking her out. She was his cousin, after all, so he wouldn't break off her limbs (yet). He sent the cocktail to Carmen and Eleazar as well, allowing Peter and Charlotte to subdue the rest of them more easily.

He quickly scanned the area, his nerves on edge, and his temper dangerously out of control. One more crack and the Major would break free and who knows what kind of collateral damage he would cause.

He heard the loud cracks of trees snapping in a set of trees across a small river, and he ran, leaping over it and disappearing into the trees.

"Millie!" He roared, his voice thundering through the forest.

"Jasper!" She shouted back, and he could hear the desperation in her voice as he came upon them.

Laurent was trying to sink his snarling, venom dripping teeth into Millie's neck, who was barely keeping him at bay.

A lour roar erupting from his chest as he sprung into Laurent, sending the vampire crashing to the ground.

Jasper rolled back onto his feet; his deadly rage focused on the vampire across from him who was feeling a mixture of fear, confusion, and horror.

Laurent gave him a wide-eyed look and tried to bolt, but he didn't get very far when the Major caught him and slammed his knee into his stomach with tremendous force.

He added a wave of pain and despair that kept Laurent incapacitated on the ground as he towered over him, his rage like a wild hurricane that threatened to burn it all.

"You dared to fucking touch, my mate!" He roared, before ripping a leg off for good measure. No one laid a hand on his mate. He would die screaming.

Laurent continued to scream until he walked up to his head and stomped on his neck, crushing his vocal cords and severing his head from his neck. He stared at the piece of shit before turning towards his mate, who stared at him with wide eyes.

"Jasper?" She asked, looking at him, her emotions reflecting uncertainty and confusion.

He shook his head, feeling the black rage fade away a bit now that he had sated it somewhat and could see that Millie was no longer in danger.

"I'm here," he said shortly as he walked over to her, his instincts demanding that he check her over for any injuries. Satisfied that she was fine, he turned his attention back to the piece of shit on the ground.

Sounds of struggle were heard, and they watch as Peter and Charlotte brought Tanya and Irina into the small clearing. The looks of outrage on the sister's face faded away into confusion and horror as they looked at Laurent.

"No," Irina whispered before she threw her head back. "No! What have you done to my mate?!" She began to wail and keen, the agony on her face clear.

"Cut that shit out," Jasper snapped, not in the mood for the theatrics. "The rest of the coven is fine, albeit knocked out. But I want the two of you to witness to this interrogation. You're gonna realize that you had a snake in your family." And that Laurent wasn't Irina's mate either. He could tell from their emotions. Really. Both of them should have known better than that.

They glared at him but remained silent, and he could feel their reluctant submission to his will. He nodded at Peter and Charlotte, and the two of them were released.

"I'll go get the trash bags from the car," Millie volunteered and disappeared before he could even say anything.

"Trash bags?" Irina said, her voice hitching with fear.

He rolled his eyes. "Not for you," he said, pointing to Laurent. "Him."

It was shortly under two minutes before Millie returned with the trash bags and tossed them to him before turning to Laurent's torso. She felt along his pockets and pulled out a simple cell phone with a smug look on her face.

Jasper nodded, pleased at her ability to think ahead, as it was something he expected of his coven. While she began to go through the phone, he threw Laurent's body in one bag, while his leg and head were thrown in another.

The empath hauled one bag over his shoulder while Peter picked up the other. Tanya and Irina slowly got to their feet and followed them to where the others were still knocked out from the cocktail he had given them.

He gave Tanya a warning look. "I'll leave it to you to get your coven under control. Next time, it won't be a simple knock out." He said. "Meet us at the car." Just as a precaution, he sent a wave of calm to both women. It would go away when he was out of range, but it would have the immediate effect of easing the current tense situation. He was through with niceties.

He formed a cocktail of alertness and adrenaline and sent it to the remaining Denali before he turned and left with his coven. Tanya and Irina were capable of dealing with the fallout.

"Anything on the phone?" He questioned as they made they reached the car.

Millie frowned as he unlocked the car and tossed Laurent's remains in the back. "A bunch of calls and messages to Irina," she answered. "However, there are several random phone numbers that have called him."

"Well, telemarketers aren't an unusual thing," Peter said, as he leaned against the car.

"You're right," his mate agreed. "However, there's something strange here. On the 14th of every month for the past nine months, he's received a call from these random numbers at 4:00."

"That can't be a coincidence," Charlotte remarked. "Victoria?"

"Or one of the people she's likely allied with," he said, looking at the remains in the car. "Either way, I'm sure Laurent can give us the answer to that question."

"And who knows what he deleted off his phone," Peter said. "Another thing I'm sure he can fill us in on."

"Should I call the number?" Millie asked, looking up at him. "I know it's likely that these phones are being tossed, but it was only yesterday that he received a call."

He considered it, but then shook his head. "Maybe after I interrogate Laurent," he said, just as the Denali coven came into view. None of them looked happy; in fact, a few of them looked downright pissed off. But he wasn't going to apologize. He had tried the diplomatic approach at first.

"You have a member of our coven in pieces," Kate hissed as they stopped several feet from his coven. "That's unacceptable."

"What's unacceptable," he said slowly, trying to push down his anger. "Is a member of your coven trying to destroy mine. But like I told Tanya and Irina, you're gonna realize what a snake this piece of shit is."

"Now, I can take him into some remote wilderness and interrogate him, or we could do it here, preferably in the basement if you don't mind."

"Fine," Tanya said through clenched teeth. "But if you're wrong..."

"I'm not," Jasper said, before grabbing one of the bags. Peter picked up the other one, and they followed the Denali back to the house and downstairs into a large and quite comfortable basement.

He threw the bag on the floor, and Peter's tossed the other one as well. Millie stood off to the side with Charlotte, her face impassive, though he could still read the array of emotions she felt. Tanya and Kate took a seat on one of the couches, while Carmen and Eleazar stood nearby, watching them with accusatory eyes.

"Where was Laurent yesterday at 4:00?" He asked, almost casually.

Irina frowned as the rest of her coven look at him and each other in confusion. "He went out on an errand." She rose her chin defiantly. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

He arched a brow. "So you didn't notice that he got a phone call at four on the fourteenth of the month for the past nine months?"

Her expression faltered, and she frowned. "I didn't notice," she admitted. "I never saw him take a phone call."

"Anyone else?" The resounding silence answered his question.

"Like I was saying earlier," he began, his voice cold. "Victoria has been causing trouble down in Forks. She even tried to corner my mate. I know Laurent is helping her." With that, he pulled Laurent's pieces out of the bags and sent him the usual cocktail to wake him up.

"Heads up everyone, but don't interrupt the Major," Peter warned as he propped up Laurent's body and held his head "If you can't handle it, then see yourself out."

He nodded at his brother before Charlotte stepped forward with a thermos in hand and began to force the contents down Laurent's damaged throat. It was animal blood, courtesy of Millie.

It took some time, but slowly Laurent's damaged throat began to heal, and it began to fuse to his head once more. It was close to five when he was confident the pathetic man before him could now be of some use.

"Are you going to talk?" He asked, adopting a more casual tone. "Or do I have to use more _enhanced methods_ to help you speak?"

Laurent glared at him, weak and still thirsty. The animal blood would never sate him. "Why did you let my throat heal if you're going to kill me?" He spat out hoarsely, his eyes filled with hatred and anger.

A terrible smile came over his face. It should have been obvious. "You attacked my mate and tried to sink your teeth into her throat. I think you know who I am, and you should know that you're gonna suffer the consequences for it. You were healed a bit so I could inflict more pain." Laurent flinched at his words, and Jasper crouched down in front of him, inclining his head slightly.

"What have you been telling Victoria?"

Laurent remained silent, and he simply blasted him with a dose of pain, fear, and agony. "I can hurt you physically and emotionally." He tore off an arm, causing Laurent to shriek with pain. Irina flinched and looked away while Tanya and Kate stared at him grimly. Carmen got up and went back upstairs, Eleazar, following after her. Three was good enough as long as he had witnesses to the fact that Laurent was a snake.

"And I should warn you, Laurent," he said almost casually. "The pain can get much worse, so you had better tell me what I want to know and quickly."

He sent him a wave of pain and amplified it, before severing his hand from his other arm. Laurent screamed in pure agony, no doubt wanting to clutch his missing hand, but he didn't have his other arm, and Peter held him in place.

"Talk," he demanded, staring down at the worthless vampire before him.

* * *

AN: Well, that wraps up Chapter 9; hope you all enjoyed it! And once again, thanks to everyone who left a review, favorited, or followed this story!


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